^s: 


^M 


WfRMMMl 


m 


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1 


J^ 


Stom  f ^e  feifirari^  of 

(gci>,  (g^ffen  l^enrg  QBrot^n,  ®.  ®. 

Q^eque^t^e^  61?  ^im  to 
f ^c  feifirari?  of 

(ptinceton  C^eofogicaf  ^entinarg 

BV  2060  .W32  1870  ' 

Warren,  William,  1806-1879, 
These  for  those 


/vC 


THESE  FOR  THOSE. 


OUR   INDEBTEDNESS   TO 


4^j:^  Gr  mm, 

FOREIGN  MISSIONS-^r^"    ■ -~u^^ 


^^C28  19] 


WHAT  WE    GET    FOR  WHAT  WE   GIVE. 


Br   WILLIAM    WARREN: 

AUTHOR    OF    "twelve    YEARS    WITH    THE    CHILDREN, 

''spirit's  sword,"  etc. 


PUBLISHED    BY 

HOYT,     FOGG    AND     BREED 
PORTLAND,    ME. 

1870. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  tlie  year  1870,  by 

HOYT,    FOGG  AND  BREED, 
In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


Stereotyped  and  Printed  by 

Alfeed  Mudgb  &  Son, 

Boston,  Mass. 


TO 

A  FRIEND  AND  GUIDE   OF  iHT  YOUTH, 
A    COUNSELLOR    AND    EXAMPLE    OF    MY    YEARS, 

S^ts  Morh  is  llespectfallg  |nscribeir ; 

AND  NOT  MERELY  BECAUSE   IT   WAS    UNDERTAKEN   AT  YOUR 

SUGGESTION,    BUT    FOR    THE     INTEREST     YOU     HAVE 

SHOWN,    AND  INFLUENCE   YOU  HA\'E   EXERTED, 

THROUGHOUT  A  LENGTHENED  LIFE,  IN 

LETTERS  AND  RELIGION. 

WITH   SENTIMENTS  OF  RESPECT  AND  LOVE, 

WILLIAM    WAKREN. 
GoRHAM,  Me.,  Oct.  1,1870. 


INTRODUCTORY   NOTE. 


Not  much  has  been  thought  of  work  done  for 
Christ  beyond  the  seas,  in  its  reaction  upon  the 
churches  and  communities  at. home. 

Foreign  missions  were  inaugurated  for  the 
heathen  nations.  They  are  advocated  and  vindi- 
cated on  the  ground  that  Christ  commanded 
them,  that  the  world  needs  them,  and  will  perish 
without  them.  This  is  indeed  the  grand  motive 
to  them,  and  the  basis  of  our  obligation  to  sup- 
port them. 

But  it  is  the  aim  of  this  book  to  show 
that  foreign  missions,  in  their  appropriate  work 
and  influence,  become  a  blessing,  also,  to  those 
that  sustain  them ;  that  they  not  only  convey  a 
blessing,  but  return  a  blessing. 


g  INTRODUCTORY  NOTE. 

The  pamphlet  entitled  "  Our  Debt  to  Missions," 
published  a  year  ago,  excited  unusual  interest, 
and  has  been    largely  copied  in  both  countries. 

I  undertook  the  present  work,  upon  the  basis 
of  that  outline,  with  much  reluctance,  on  account 
of  feebleness  of  health,  and  the  fear  that  I  could 
not  do  justice  to  the  subject.  But  the  advice  and 
urgency  of  friends  whose  judgment  I  felt  bound 
to  respect,  and  who  regarded  the  subject  as  too 
important  to  be  dismissed  without  further  con- 
sideration, induced  me  to  enter  upon  the  work. 

The  discussion  has  led  me  over  ground  com- 
paratively new.  Not  much  had  been  written  of 
the  resultant  influence  of  missions,  save  in  a  re- 
ligious point  of  view ;  and  on  this  ground  there 
was  much  indefiniteness.  Nothing  had  been  said 
systematically  and  exhaustively ;  while  the  mat- 
ters treated  under  the  other  Topics^  are  brought 
into  form  here  mostly  for  the  first  time. 

I  state  these  facts  partly  in  the  way  of 
apology  for  defects  that  may  be  found  in  the 
book.     It  is  difficult  to  be  rigidly  correct  where 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE.  * 

SO  much  ground  is  to  be  gone  over,  and  so  many 
authorities  to  be  consulted. 

I  make  no  appeal  to  the  sympathy  of  the 
reader ;  —  but  it  is  due  to  me  to  say  that  this 
draught  on  my  time  and  strength  affected  seri- 
ously my  health  ;  so  that  it  was  with  great  pains- 
taking, and  is  consequently  with  much  imper- 
fection, that  the  work  is  brought  to  its  close. 

W.  W. 


TOPICS. 


TOPIC    I. 

OUR     INDEBTEDiTESS      TO      ISHSSIONS  — AS     A 

RACE  (An-glo- Saxon). 

TOPIC  n. 

OUR     INDEBTEDNESS     TO     MISSIONS  —  AS      A 
NATION. 

TOPIC  ni. 

OUR     INDEBTEDNESS      TO      MISSIONS— AS      A 
GOVERNMENT. 

TOPIC   IV. 

OUR       INDEBTEDNESS         TO         I^HSSIONS  —  AS 
.      PROFITABLE    PECUNIARILY, 

TOPIC    V. 

OUR    INDEBTEDNESS    TO    IVnSSIONS  — AS    AIDS 
TO  SCIENCE  AND  LITERATURE. 

TOPIC    VI. 

OUR        INDEBTEDNESS        TO         IVHSSIONS  —  AS 
CHURCHES   AND    CHRISTIANS. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


TOPIC   I.  —  Pages  15-86. 

Chapter  I.  —  The  Idolatry  of  our  Ancestors 17 

Chapter  II.  —  The  Paganism  of  the  Saxons 32 

Chapter  III.  —  Patricius  the  Reformer 44 

Chapter  IV.  —  Columba  and  Columbanus 55 

Chapter  V.  —  Italian  Missions 70 

TOPIC  II.  —  Pages  87-159. 

Chapter  VII.  —  Missions  among  the  Indians 89 

Chapter  VIII.  —  How  Missions  have  helped  the 

Indian  work 99 


12  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  IX.  —  Facts  Illustrated 119 

Chapter  X.  —  The  Oregon  Mission :  Its  grand  re- 
sults upon  the  nation 142 


TOPIC  III.  —  Pages  161-198. 

Chapter   XI.  —  Aid    to    our    Foreign    Ambassa- 
dors     163 

Chapter  XII.  —  Influence  of  Missions  on  Repub- 
lican Institutions 177 


TOPIC    lY.— Pages  199-231. 

Chapter  XIII.  —  The  effect  of  Foreign  Missions 

on  Commerce  and  Trade 201 

Chapter  XIV.  — Pecuniary   advantage    of    Mis- 
sions    212 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  13 


TOPIC   V.  —  Pages  233-305. 

Chapter  XV.  —  Science  and  Literature,   as    pro- 
moted by  Missions 235 

Chapter  XVI.  —  Researches    iu    Geography  and 
other  Sciences 252 

Chapter  XVII.  —  Further  Contributions    to    Sci- 
ence    267 

Chapter  XVIII.  —  Discoveries   in  the   Sandwich 
Islands  by  Missionaries 277 

Chapter  XIX.  — r  Testimony  of  scientific  men 291 


TOPIC  VI.  —  Pages  307-408. 

Chapter  XX.  —  Effect    of   Foreign    Missions   on 

Christian  Theology 309 


14  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  XXI.  —  Christian  Union   as   affected  by 
Foreign  Missions 328 

Chapter  XXII.  —  Influence   of   Missions  on    the 

Spirituality  of  the  churches    348 

Chapter  XXIII.  —  Ways  in  which  Missions  work 
has  affected  our  piety 365 

Chapter  XXIV.  —  New  impulse  given  to  Chris- 
tian Charity 377 


TOPIC  I. 

OUR    INDEBTEDNESS    TO    JVnSSIONS 
AS  A  RACE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   IDOLATRY   OF    OUR  ANCESTORS. 

The  ancient  Britons— Their  Conversion  through 
Missions  —  Again  paganized  —  Christianized  a 
second  time  through  Missions  —  Our  remote 
Genealogy  —  Conquest  op  Britain  by  our 
Anglo-Saxon  Fathers  —  Their  gross  Paganism. 

HE     ancient     Britons,    when    Caesar 


^^M  conquered  them,  were  a  fierce  race 
•^  ^  of  savages.  They  were  converted 
to  Christianity  by  missionaries  sent  to  them 
early  in  the  second  century.  We  know 
very  little  of  the  circumstances  of  their  con- 
version, or  of  their  early  history. 

Britain  was  reduced  again  to  paganism  by 
the   Anglo-Saxons   from  the    northwest   of 
Europe,  and  continued  in  a  barbarous  state 
2 


18  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

for  about  two  huudred  years.  These  pagan 
Saxons,  having  driven  the  native  Christian 
inhabitants  from  their  homes  and  country, 
took  permanent  possession  of  the  Island. 

The  evangelizing  of  England  a  second  time 
was  also  effected  by  foreign  missionaries,  a 
part  of  whom  were  from  the  Irish  church, 
and  a  part  from  the  church  of  Eome.  So  we 
are  indebted  to  foreign  missions  for  the  con- 
version of  our  English  predecessors  to  the 
Christian  faith  at  two  different  periods. 

I  pass  now  from  a  general  glance,  to  par- 
ticulars. The  question  has  arisen  whether 
we  have  our  origin  purely  from  the  An^lo- 
Saxons,  or  from  a  slight  admixture  of  the 
Celtic  with  the  Saxon  blood.  The  latter 
seems  the  more  likely  to  be  true,  as  the 
expulsion  of  the  native  inhabitants  could 
not  have  been  entire.  Some  would  natu- 
rally sympathize  with  the  Anglo-Saxon  inva- 
ders, and  with  their  religion.  They  would 
therefore  choose  to  join  their  fortunes  and 
destinies  with  those  of  the  victorious  party. 


IDOLATRY  OF   OUR  ANCESTORS.  19 

In  subsequent  conquests,  other  foreign 
elements  were  mingled  with  the  Anglo- 
Saxon.  But  in  all  changes  and  adultera- 
tions, the  Anglo-Saxon  blood  has  predom- 
inated, and  continued  the  base  of  English 
and  American  character. 

We  have  need,  therefore,  to  trace  our  his- 
tory back  but  a  few  centuries  comparatively, 
before  we  pass  into  the  twilight  of  Chris- 
tianity, that  borders  on  blank  barbarism. 
The  Anglo-Saxons,  from  whom  we  are  more 
immediately  descended,  were  Pagans  in  their 
continental  home  in  the  north  of  Europe, — 
they  were  Pagans  when  they  took  possession 
by  violence  of  Britain,  and  drove  out  the 
native  Christian  inhabitants. 

I  have  said,  these  native  Britons,  or  earlier 
inhabitants,  were  heathen  until  the  gospel 
was  sent  to  them  in  the  second  century. 
These,  as  well  as  our  more  direct  Anglo- 
Saxon  forefathers,  would  have  remained  in 
heathenism  if  the  gospel  had  not  been  sent 
to  them.     It  is  the  gospel  that  lifts  the  pall 


20  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

of  paganism  from  the  nations,  and  puts  in 
its  place  institutions  and  influences  that  ele- 
vate and  save  men. 

But  the  gospel  must  be  carried  to  men. 
The  heathen  of  themselves  have  no  knowl- 
edge of  Christianity ;  they  have  no  desire 
for  it,  and  hence  will  not  send  for  it. 
And  Christianity  never  springs  up  of  itself 
spontaneously  among  the  nations.  It  has 
need  to  be  preached,  —  to  be  propagated 
and  difiused  among  the  people,  in  order  to 
save  the  world. 

Our  remote  ancestors  were  no  exception 
to  this  rule.  They  were  like  all  other 
pagan  peoples.  They  had  their  own  rude 
religion,  with  its  cruel  rites  and  forms. 
Their  religion  was  in  accordance  with  their 
character.  It  favored  their  vile  supersti- 
tions and  tastes.  They  loved  it  because  it 
did  not  cross  their  prejudices,  nor  forbid 
their  cruelties,  nor  interfere  with  their  low 
pleasures  and  passions.  There  was,  indeed,  a 
struggle  of  truth  against  error,  of  principle 


THE  DRUIDS.  21 

against  superstition  and  the  customs  of  sav- 
age life,  when  Christianity  at  last  subdued 
the  barbarism  of  our  British  and  Saxon 
fathers. 

I  have  intimated  that  the  British  Islands 
were  first  inhabited  by  a  people  whose  ori- 
gin is  not  known  definitely  ;  that  the  primi- 
tive inhabitants  were  conquered  by  Csesar, 
and  annexed  to  the  Eoman  Empire ;  that 
they  were  afterwards  converted  to  the 
Christian  relio:ion. 

Previously  to  this  they  had  been  subjected 
to  the  hard  hand  of  despotism.  They  were 
enslaved  to  an  order  of  priests  called 
Druids,  who  practised  their  rites  and  orgies 
in  groves  and  dark  forests.  These  priests 
themselves  dwelt  in  fearful  caverns  or 
recesses  of  the  earth.  They  kept  them- 
selves and  their  movements  often  in  j)ro- 
found  secrecy,  and  in  this  way  strengthened 
the  superstitions  and  credulity  of  the  people. 

The  word  Druid  is  said  to  be  derived 
from  an  ancient  word  that  signifies    Oak, 


22  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Pliny  thinks  the  Druid?  took  this  name  from 
the  fact  that  they  taught  the  people  and 
offered  sacrifices  in  oaken  forests.  They 
assumed  civil  power  over  the  people,  as 
well  as  absolute  religious  supremacy,  and 
thus  held  them  in  complete  subjection.  "It 
gives  us  a  sufficiently  dreadful  idea  of  the 
Druids,  to  know,"  says  one,  "that  they  were 
in  the  habit  of  offering  human  sacrifices." 
CaBsar,  speaking  of  the  inhabitants  of  Gaul 
and  Britain,  says,  "they  are  much  addicted 
to  superstition,  and  those  who  are  afilicted 
with  a  dangerous  disease  often  sacrifice  a 
man  for  their  recovery.  In  this  business 
they  employ  the  ministry  of  the  Druids." 
Suetonius  declares  that  the  Druids  used  to 
sacrifice  men  to  the  god  Mercury.  Pliny 
says  they  considered  it  a  part  of  their 
religion  to  put  men  to  death,  and  to  feed 
upon  their  dead  bodies.  Both  Hume  and 
Goldsmith  say  of  the  Druids,  no  species  of 
superstition  was  ever  more  terrible  than 
theirs. 


THE  DRUIDS.  23 

There  is  some  confusion  among  historians 
as  to  the  time  when  the  Druids  held  sway 
in  Britain.  Some  writers  rescard  the  hisrh 
priests  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  religion  as  the 
Druids  of  ancient  time.  Our  Saxon  an- 
cestors had,  no  doubt,  a  priesthood  that  held 
them  in  the  iron  grasp  of  superstition  and 
civil  subjection;  but  their  priests  were 
not  Druids.  Mallet  (History  of  Denmark) 
says,  "the  degrees  or  orders  in  the  priest- 
hood of  the  Saxons  were  divided  into 
classes.  There  were  twelve  priests  called 
Drotts,  of  superior  dignity,  that  presided 
over  their  religion  and  controlled  the  other 
priests."  He  admits  that  there  may  have 
been  an  affinity  between  the  Saxon  Drotts 
and  the  Celtic  Druids,  but  not  an  identity, 
as  some  have  supposed.  There  is,  indeed, 
an  affinity  between  all  pagan  systems  and 
religions.  The  Druids,  however,  belonged 
to  the  ealier  periods  of  British  paganism. 
They  were  Celtic  and  not  Saxon.  Their 
power  passed  away  when  the  early  Britons 


24  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

were  subjected  to  Rome  and  were  converted 
to  Christianity.* 

Caesar  says,  in  his  History  of  the  Gallic 
wars,  that  the  Germans  had  no  Druids  to 
preside  over  their  religion.  By  Germans  he 
meant  Saxons.  Tacitus  never  speaks  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  priests  as  Druids,  but  often 
refers  to  the  Celtic  priests  as  such. 

The  power  of  the  Druidical  priesthood 
fell  and  passed  into  oblivion,  when  Caesar 
conquered  Britain.  Christian  worship  was 
established  ;  Christian  sanctuaries  were 
built;  the  old  heathen  temples,  indeed, 
were  in  some  instances  used  for  Christian 
worship.  But  heathen  abominations  had 
been  displaced  by  Christian  institutions  and 
worship.  That  primitive  people  were  thus 
enjoying  their  religion  in  the  first  centuries, 
in  a  state  of  peace  and  comparative  inde- 
pendence, when  those  hard  and  rough  men 
from  the  north,  of  Anglo-Saxon  descent, 
took  possession  of  the  Island.     Suddenly  the 

*  Henry,  of  the  Eoyal  Society  of  Edinburgh,  vol.  1, 
p.  135. 


PICT8  AND  SCOTS.  25 

taper  light  of  education  and  of  Christianity 
was  extinguished,  and  the  work  of  Christian 
civilization  stopped.  Britain  was  paganized 
once  more.  The  sun  of  Christian  light  rose 
upon  Britain, .  one  or  two  hundred  years 
after  it  rose  upon  Palestine.  It  shone  a  few 
centuries,  and  then  went  out  into  darkness 
and  night. 

Before  the  Anglo-Saxons  took  possession 
of  the  British  Island,  the  Picts  and  Scots 
inhabited  the  part  that  is  now  called  Scot- 
land. They  were  rival  and  powerful  tribes, 
of  the  same  blood  evidently  in  their  remote 
ancestry,  and  the  same  also  as  the  Britons 
themselves.  They  were  savages,  and  looked 
upon  the  progress  of  ^Christianity  as  early 
planted  upon  the  southern  portion  of  the 
Island,  no  doubt,  with  jealousy.  Though 
often  at  war  with  each  other,  they  made 
common  cause  now  against  the  hated  Brit- 
ons, and  proved  too  strong  for  them  in  the 
contest.  These  Britons  thought  it  best  to 
call  to   their  aid  the   Anglo-Saxon  hordes 


26  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

from  Germany  against  the  Picts  and  Scots. 
They  invoked  heathen  allies  to  aid  them 
against  heathen  foes !  They  invoked 
heathenism  to  repel  heathenism !  They 
called  in  a  stronger  race  of  idolaters  to  help 
them  against  a  weaker  race  of  idolaters. 
In  this  they  did  a  dangerous  thing,  as  will 
soon  appear. 

Our  Saxon  fathers  in  the  North  were 
ready  to  undertake  the  enterprise.  It  was 
in  accordance  with  their  daring  and  savage 
nature.  They  were  adventurers,  sea-rovers, 
fierce  warriors,  and  practised  freebooters. 
They  loved  to  engage  in  all  bloody  contests. 

They  were  welcomed  by  the  simple  Chris- 
tian Britons.  The  Picts  and  Scots  were 
soon  put  to  flight.  There  was  great  rejoicing 
in  the  land.  But  the  Picts  and  Scots  left 
those  Britons  in  worse  hands  than  their  own, 
because  more  powerful.  Yet  nothing  could 
exceed  the  gratitude  and  rejoicing  of  the 
Britons  for  their  deliverance  from  the  enemy 
through  their  Saxon  allies.     So  these  latter 


ANGLO-SAXONS.  27 

were  praised  and  feted  and  worshipped  well 
nigh. 

The  Saxons  had  not  yet  assumed  the  atti- 
tude of  invaders.  They  came  to  Britain  by 
invitation.  They  came  on  a  friendly  errand, 
to  aid  the  people  in  an  unequal  contest  with 
their  savage  neighbors.  In  this  they  were 
successful,  and  so  had  laid  the  Britons  under 
obligation  to  them.  And  the  demonstra- 
tions of  gratitude  and  enthusiasm  on  the 
part  of  the  Britons  were  strong.  But 
the  Anglo-Saxons  took  advantage  of  this 
state  of  things.  They  coveted  the  beautiful 
country  they  had  redeemed.  They  knew 
their  own  strength,  and  the  weakness  of  the 
natives.  They  did  not  see  why  they  might 
not  remain  the  lords  of  the  land.  They 
were  but  a  fraction  of  a  powerful  people  at 
home.  Their  country  had  probably  become 
crowded  with  human  life.  It  was,  perhaps, 
too  strait  for  them.  Multitudes,  we  may 
suppose,  waited  to  come,  and  only  wanted 
opportunity  or  pretext  to  follow  their  coun- 
trymen to  the  beautiful  isle  to  share  their 


28  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

fortunes,  and  find  for  themselves  a  new 
home.  And  so,  from  being  allies,  the 
Saxons  were  now  become  enemies.  From 
being  visitors  they  became  invaders,  and 
sought  to  take  possession  of  the  Island. 

The  story  of  the  struggle  is  a  long  and 
tragical  one.  It  is  a  story  of  savage  deal- 
ing. The  Saxons  were  themselves  several 
times  repulsed,  and  were  as  often  reinforced, 
till,  piecemeal,  the  country  fell  into  their 
hands.  Paganism  proved  too  powerful  for 
Christianity  in  the  contest,  and  swept  it 
away  from  the  larger  part  of  the  Island. 

The  Britons  fared  hard  in  the  war.  Those 
who  were  not  slain  in  battle,  or  butchered  as 
prisoners,  fled  for  their  lives  or  their  liberty, 
and  hid  themselves  in  the  dark  mountain 
recesses,  of  the  province  now  called  Wales. 
There  they  made  for  themselves  a  home, 
comfortable  and  quiet  as  they  could,  and 
finally  a  country.  They  carried  with  them 
their  religion,  as  well  as  the  memory  and 
experiences  of  the  past.  The  toil  and 
fortunes    of    life  were    to  be    commenced 


THE  EXILES.  29 

anew.  These  exiled  Christian  Britons  be- 
haved tliemselves  with  great  propriety 
in  their  new  home.  Says  Henry :  "  Af- 
ter their  departure,  the  British  churches 
were  governed  with  great  prudence,  and 
were  preserved  from  the  contagion  of 
heresy  in  their  seclusion."  Prominent 
among  them  as  leaders  were  Dubrutius 
and  Iltutus,  who  were  distinguished  for 
zeal  and  Christian  knowledge,  and  for  ex- 
tensive usefulness. 

The  Saxons  at  their  coming  into  Britain, 
as  we  have  seen,  were  pagans,  and  were  an- 
imated with  the  most  violent  hatred  against 
Christianity.  This  appeared  by  their  mur- 
dering the  Christian  clergy  without  mercy, 
and  destroying  their  places  of  worship  when- 
ever they  fell  into  their  hands. ^ 

The  Anglo-Saxons,  having  exterminated 
Christianity  and  the  native  Christian  people, 
were  now  masters  of  the  land.  They  estab- 
lished   their   ancestral    idolatry  there.      A 

»  Bede,  Eccl.  Hist.  B.  1,  C.  15. 


30  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

nation  of  rude,  warlike  savages  took  posses- 
sion of  the  sanctuaries  and  altars  of  those 
native  Britons.  These  were  either  demol- 
ished, or  used  for  heathen  purposes.  A 
pagan  priesthood  now  stand  in  the  place  of 
once  Christian  teachers,  and,  still  more  re- 
motely, of  the  Druidical  priest,  that  had 
passed  away  only  to  be  superseded  by 
another  dispensation  of  heathenism  upon  the 
Island,  animated  by  a  still  deadlier  hate  to 
Christianity. 

The  Saxon  invaders  e^ablished  separate 
kingdoms  in  Britain.  Reinforcements  from 
Germany  in  time  of  the  war  usually  organ- 
ized themselves  into  a  separate  govern- 
ment. There  came  at  length  to  be  seven 
Idngdoms,  styled  the  Heptarchy.  They  con- 
stituted a  little  empire  of  paganism  upon 
the  Island.  They  were  sometimes  confed- 
erate apparently,  but  were  oftener  in  a 
state  of  mutual  and  deadly  hostility.  It  is 
the  sixth  century ;  and  heathenism  again 
covers  Britain,  with  only  a  slight  marginal 
exception,   a  crescent  of  Christian  light  over 


A  SUMMARY.  31 

the   horizon  in  the  north  and  west,   whither 
the  early  Christian  Britons  had  fled. 

We  have  simply  touched  upon  these  points 
in  the  history  of  our  ancestors,  but  must 
leave  them  for  other  matters.  We  have  seen 
that  the  early  Celtic  inhabitants  of  Britain 
were  idolaters,  that  their  priests  were  called 
Druids.  A  portion  of  the  Island  was  Chris- 
tianized in  the  second  century.  The  north- 
ern parts,  called  Scotland,  were  still  heathen. 
These  Picts  and  Scots  that  dwelt  there  went 
to  war  against  the  Britons.  These  called  in 
our  ancestors  from  the  continent  to  their 
aid.  They  came,  and  conquered  Picts  and 
Scots .  These  Anglo-Saxons  now  take  violent 
possession  of  the  country,  and  sweep  the  na- 
tive Britons  and  the  Christian  religion  away. 
These  persecuted  people  plant  themselves  in 
the  northwest,  and  maintain  a  form  of  gov- 
ernment and  their  religion  in  the  recesses  of 
the  mountains ;  while  our  Saxon  ancestry, 
divided  into  petty  kingdoms,  establish  them- 
selves and  their  heathenism  in  the  heart  of 
the  Island. 


CHAPTER  n. 

THE  PAGANISM  OF  THE  SAXONS. 

Woden,  their  chief  God — Other  Deities  —  Of- 
fering OF  Htbian  Victems  —  Our  Kelations  to 
that  Idolatry  — Our  Condition  but  for  Mis- 
sions. 

IKE  other  heathen,  our  Saxon  an- 
cestors had  their  divinities.  These 
divinities  were  clothed  with  attri- 
butes such  as  the  imagination  of  their  wor- 
shippers would  naturally  give  them.  We 
should  expect  that  their  gods  would  be 
like  unto  those  that  made  them;  that  they 
would  be  the  counterpart  or  reflection  of 
the  savage  worshippers. 

These  gods  were  of  course  the  impersona- 
tion of  the  different  forms  of  evil.  Woden, 
or  Odin,   their  supreme   divinity,  was  the 


SAXON  DEITIES.  33 

gocl  of  war.  The  Auglo-Saxons  were  a  sav- 
age people,  passionately  fond  of  warfare. 
Cruelty  was  their  one  characteristic.  Their 
ruling  passion  was  for  revenge  and  blood. 
Woden,  after  whom  our  Wednesday  is 
named  (it  used  to  be  called  Wodens-daeg , 
or  day) ,  was  supposed  to  inspire  courage  and 
give  success  in  battle.  Offerings  were  made 
to  him,  worship  was  rendered  to  him,  mag- 
nificent temples  were  built  to»*his  honor,  and 
costly  sacrifices  were  offered  to  him.  This 
was  the  deity  worshipped  by  our  savage 
forefathers  as  their  supreme  god ! 

Woden  is  supposed,  however,  to  be  the 
name  of  a  deity  worshipped  among  the  ear- 
liest or  most  ancient  Saxon  colonies,  that 
came  as  conquerors  from  the  east,  and  settled 
in  Germany  and  Scandinavia.  This  was 
very  long  before  they  came  to  Britain  or  to 
Europe.  The  legends  with  regard  to  this 
god  give  him  a  higher  and  purer  character 
than  is  given  to  the  Woden  of  our  ancestors. 

We  find  in   German   antiquities,  that  in 


34  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

remote  ages,  there  arose  a  leader  of  armies 
ill  the  east,  who  became  a  mighty  conqueror, 
and  ruled  afterwards  over  the  north  of 
Europe.  He  took  advantage  of  the  supersti- 
tious element  in  the  people,  and  assumed  to 
be  the  identical  Woden  of  old.  In  subse- 
quent ages,  as  the  supreme  divinity  of  the 
Northmen,  he  became  the  object  of  relig- 
ious worship  by  Saxons,  Danes,  and  other 
kingdoms.  Tfeus  the  kings  that  ruled  over 
the  Heptarchy,  the  seven  small  kingdoms 
of  Britain,  assumed  to  be  themselves  lin- 
eal descendants  of  the  great  god  and  con- 
queror Woden,  who  had  set  up  to  be  the 
original  spiritual  Woden.  So  the  supreme 
god  of  the  Anglo-Saxons  was  only  a  military 
usurper  and  conqueror  of  nations. 

The  wife  of  Woden  was  Frea,  or  Frigga. 
She  was  worshipped  as  a  goddess  by  our 
heathen  forefathers.  According  to  their 
superstitious  conceptions,  she  was  the 
mother  of  all  the  other  gods,  Woden 
himself  being  the  father. 


WODEN  AND  FREA.  35 

Tacitus  tells  us  that  Hertha  (or  earth)  was 
the  wife  of  the  ancient  and  genuine  Woden, 
whose  throne  and  name  the  warrior  Woden 
had  usurped ;  and  that  Frea  came  into  the 
place  of  Hertha,  just  as  the  latter  AYoden 
came  into  the  place  of  the  former  Woden. 
He  says  when  Woden,  the  conqueror  of  the 
north,  usurped  the  honors  due  only  to  the 
original  Woden,  his  wife  Frea  usurped  the 
honors  that  had  formerly  been  rendered  to 
Hertha.  Mallet  says  she  was  worshipped 
as  the  goddess  of  love  and  pleasure,  and 
bestowed  on  her  votaries  a  variety  of 
delights  pertaining  to  sensuality. 

The  sixth  day  of  our  week  is  named  after 
this  goddess,  Frea.  It  used  to  be  called 
Freas-daeg  by  the  Saxons.  It  is  now  abbre- 
viated or  christened  by  the  name  of  Friday. 
The  associations  of  the  day  are  indeed 
humiliating.  They  remind  us  of  our  original 
•Paganism,  that  stands  associated  with  this 
day,  and  the  divinity  that  presided  over  a 
sin  that  has  cursed  the  human  race  more 
than  any  other. 


36  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

The  fourth  day  of  the  week  reminds  us  of 
Thor^  another  of  the  gods  of  our  Saxon  fore- 
fathers. He  was  esteemed  the  bravest  and 
most  powerful  of  the  sons  of  Woden  and 
Frea.  This  day  of  the  week  used  to  be 
called  ThorS'daeg ;  it  is  now  smoothed  into 
Thursday. 

The  Anglo-Saxons  regarded  Thor  as  the 
ruler  of  the  elements  ;  he  was  the  prince  and 
power  of  the  air  or  visible  heavens ;  he 
pointed  the  lightnings,  launched  the  thun- 
derbolts, kindled  the  meteors,  gave  fury  to 
the  tempests,  and  swept  sea  and  earth  with 
storms  and  tornadoes.  Our  fathers  prayed 
to  him  for  fair  weather,  for  favorable  winds 
and  seasons,  for  refreshing  rains  and  rich 
harvests.  When  the  earth  shook,  they  felt 
Ms  power ;  when  the  heavens  smiled,  they 
praised  their  god  Thor. 

Our  ancestors  had  a  prodigious  number  of 
inferior  deities,  gods  and  goddesses  :  Balda,- 
the  god  of  light ;  Niod,  the  god  of  water ; 
Tyr,  the  god  of  champions ;  Brage,  the  god 


SAVAGE  CUSTOMS.  37 

of  orators.  Also  Uria,  the  goddess  of 
healing ;  Tulla,  of  dress  ;  Losna,  of  peace  ; 
Vara,  of  vows ;  Snotra,  of  manners. 

I  have  said  that  where  any  great  na- 
tional characteristics  predominate,  these 
will  most  naturally  be  embodied  in  the 
ruling  divinities  of  a  people.  Heathen 
men  imagine  that  their  deities,  who  are 
but  their  own  highest  ideals,  are  like 
unto  themselves.  So  they  create  divinities 
in  the  imagination,  that  answer  to  their  own 
highest  conceptions  of  character.  Cruelty 
prevailed  as  a  characteristic  in  our  Anglo- 
Saxon  ancestors ;  and  we  should  expect  to 
find  an  embodiment  of  this  blood-thirsty 
element  in  the  divinities  they  worshipped. 
It  was  so.  These  dark  places  of  earth  were 
literally  the  habitations  of  cruelty.  Their 
supreme  divinities  had  these  characteristics 
of  cruelty  and  vice  according  to  the  highest 
conception  or  ideal  of  their  worshippers. 

Next  in  honor  to  Woden,  the  god  of  war, 
was   his   wife   Frea,    the   goddess   of    love. 


38  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

The  Komans  had  their  Venus,  as  well  as 
their  Jupiter,  so  our  savage  Saxon  ancestors 
had  their  Frea,  as  well  as  their  Woden. 
Their  rites  and  orgies  would  very  naturally 
correspond  to  the  supposed  character  of  their 
deities,  and  to  the  ruling  passions  of  the 
people  themselves. 

At  their  feasts  in  honor  of  the  gods,  intox- 
icating liquors  were 'drank,  and  their  gods 
were  toasted  at  these  banquets ;  for  they 
were  bacchanalian  in  character.  Scenes  of 
fearful  crime  accompanied  them. 

It  was  the  custom  of  the  people  on  certain 
occasions  to  offer  human  sacrifices  to  their 
gods.  These  they  thought  would  be  more 
pleasing  to  their  deities  than  any  other  ofier- 
ings.  Sometimes,  on  going  to  war,  persons 
of  the  highest  dignity  were  sacrificed ;  so  when 
suifering  from  some  great  calamity.  Oftener 
the  victims  were  selected  from  slaves,  crim- 
inals, or  captives.  The  editors  of  the  Edin- 
burgh Encyclopedia  say,  "  The  most  horrid 
of  their  superstitious   rites  consisted  in  the 


RELICS  OF  IDOLATRY.  39 

offering  of  human  sacrifices.  The  victims 
were  enclosed  in  a  large  figure,  resembling  a 
man,  formed  of  twigs  or  wisps  of  straw  or 
hay.  Then  fire  was  set  to  it,  and  they  were 
burned  to  ashes." 

Their  sacrifices  are  said  to  have  been 
offered  sometimes  in  enclosures  built  of 
massive  stone.  One  of  these  enclosures 
denominated  Stone-henge  in  England  is 
partly  standing  at  the  present  day.  The 
sites  of  several  others  have  also  been  discov- 
ered. Prof.  Silliman  says  that  he  saw,  when 
in  England,  a  vast  stone  or  altar  in  one  of 
these  enclosures,  on  the  face  of  which  a 
cavity  had  been  scooped  out  and  shaped  so 
as  just  to  receive  a  human  body.  Fearful 
memorial  this  of  our  past  heathenism,  and 
of  its  horrid  cruelties  ! 

Dr.  Pond  says,  "Our  European  ancestors 
were  once  heathens,  carried  away  unto  dumb 
idols  even  as  they  were  led.  They  were 
the  blind  devotees  of  a  senseless  idolatry, 
and    of  bloody  superstitions."     He    speaks 


40  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

of  the  Druids  as  being  the  priests  that  ruled 
our  ancestors  in  the  things  of  religion,  and 
presided  over  their  sacrifices  and  supersti- 
tions. Perhaps  he  regards  the  Drotts,  the 
high-priests  of  the  Anglo-Saxons,  as  the 
same  in  character  with  the  Druids  of  the 
early  Britons.  The  historian  Mallet,  as  I 
have  said,  acknowledged  an  affinity  between 
the  Drotts  of  the  Saxons  and  the  Druids  of 
the  primitive  Celts,  but  he  did  not  regard 
them  as  the  same.  The  Doctor  may  refer 
here  to  the  Celtic  element  in  our  ancestral 
blood. 

I  have  taken  this  cursory  view  that  the 
reader  might  see  what  would  have  been  the 
condition  of  our  race  at  the  present  time  if 
the  barbarism  of  our  ancestors  had  not  been 
broken  up  by  the  power  of  the  gospel. 
Thou  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron, 
thou  shall  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's 
vessel.  The  preaching  of  the  gospel  broke 
up  that  barbarism.  It  dashed  those  super- 
stitions in  pieces.     Those  altars  and  temples 


RELICS  OF  IDOLATRY.  41 

crumbled  to  the  ground  under  the  hand  of 
Christianity.  Systems  and  superstitions 
that  oppose  themselves  to  Christ  and  his 
kingdom,  must  be  crushed.  Our  doom  as  a 
particular  race  was  thus  averted  by  the 
intervention  of  Christian  missions. 

We  have  only  to  look  into  the  remote  past 
to  see  in  that  misty  mirror,  a  vision  of  our- 
selves and  our  children  worshipping  those 
dumb  idols  ;  our  habitations  those  of  cruelty, 
ourselves  deceivers  and  being  deceived, 
blinded  by  ancestral  and  indulged  supersti- 
tion. We  have  need  only  to  see  a  picture  of 
the  dim  and  distant  past,  and  compare  it  with 
one  of  ourselves  now,  in  the  enjoyment  of 
these  pleasant  homes  and  gospel  privileges, 
to  see  the  greatness  of  our  obligation  to  for- 
eign missions. 

I  say  it  is  a  question  whether  our  race 
would  not  have  run  out  and  become  extinct, 
if  it  had  not  been  for  Christianity  as  diffused 
among  them.  We  might  have  been  as 
those  that  have  been  dashed  in  pieces  like  the 


42  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

potter's  vessel.  Many  a  people  as  powerful 
as  our  ancestors,  are  now  no  more.  No 
trace  of  them  can  be  found  upon  the  earth. 
They  have  been  extinguished,  or  have  coa- 
lesced with  other  peoples.  It  might  have 
been  thus  with  the  Anglo-Saxon  race.  They 
that  take  the  sword  shall  perish  by  the 
sword.  That  race  took  the  sword,  and  thus 
carried  with  them  the  grand  element  or 
instrument  of  self-annihilation.  Great  con- 
querors and  conquests  awaken  great  jealous- 
ies. Warlike  nations  and  characters  stir  up 
military  rivalries,  and  become  a  coveted 
prey  to  proud  ambition  or  burning  revenge. 
Or  our  race  might  have  continued  its 
career  of  conquest  and  of  barbarism  to  the 
present  time.  So  the  alternative  without 
Christianity,  were  extinction,  or  a  perpet- 
uated barbarism.  For  idolatry  never  heals 
itself.  Heathenism  has  no  element  or  prin- 
ciple of  self-recuperation.  It  goes  on  from 
worse  to  worse.  The  natural  instincts  and 
virtues  are  too  feeble  to  stand  strong  against 


OUR  DEBT  TO  MISSIONS.  43 

the   power  of  passion,  or  to  effect  a  moral 
redemption  within. 

Christianity,  that  regenerates  men  and 
takes  the  soul  up  to  its  higher  life,  is  not 
the  offspring  of  natural  principles.  It  never 
springs  up  spontaneously  among  men.  It 
is  not  the  outgrowth  of  natural  religion. 
It  was  never  found  indigenous  in  any 
country,  or  with  any  race.  Once  in  a  state 
of  barbarism  that  eclipsed  the  light  that 
lighteth  every  man,  this  would  have  con- 
tinued our  condition  and  inheritance, — a  life 
the  semblance  of  death ;  existence  with- 
out virtue  ;  society  without  sweet  companion- 
ship or  safety;  passions  without  restraint; 
the  family  altar  in  ruins ;  hearts  without 
natural  affection ;  virtue  unprotected ;  vice 
without  checks ;  aspirations  left  to  pine  in 
ignorance,  or  of  hope  sinking  in  despair ! 
This  were  our  condition,  but  for  the  early 
introduction  of  the  Christian  religion  into 
Europe  and  Britain,  where  our  forefathers 
dwelt. 


CHAPTEK  m. 

PATRICIUS   THE   REFORMER. 

His  Captivity  —  His  Conversion  —  His  Missionary 
Zeal  —  His  great  Power  and  Success  —  The 
Banyan  —  Ireland  Christianized. 

^  HEN  Britain  had  been  reduced  to 
barbarism  a  second  time  by  our 
^0^  Anglo-Saxon  ancestors  in  the  fifth 
century,  there  was  a  margin  of  Christian 
light  on  the  borders  of  the  Island  yet  un- 
extinguished. The  native  Britons  had  been 
driven  thither;  it  was  the  light  of  their 
Christian  altars.  It  burned  all  the  brighter 
amidst  the  mountains  and  vailed  recesses  of 
their  exile.  ^  But  the  heart  of  the  Island 
was  in  possession  of  the  idolatrous  Anglo- 
Saxons. 


PATRICIUS.  45 

The  commencement  of  the  great  reforma- 
tion in  Britain  and  on  the  Continent  was  in 
this  wise.  A  youth,  born  of  Christian  pa- 
rents, that  had  been  expelled  from  their 
home  by  the  Saxon  invaders,  was  carried 
away  a  captive  to  Ireland,  and  was  sold 
as  a  prisoner.  He  was  taken  by  robbers  or 
sea-rovers.  His  name  was  Patricius,  or 
Patrick. 

He  has  since  been  canonized  by  the  Cath- 
olic Church,  under  the  style  of  St.  Patrick, 
and  is  wrongfully  made  a  patron  saint,  or 
tutelary  divinity  of  the  Romish  religion. 
But  this  is  all  blindly  done.  He  sprang 
from  the  primitive  stock  of  Christians  in 
early  Britain,  whose  religion  had  great  sim- 
plicity, and  was  comparatively  pure  in  doc- 
trine. 

Patrick  was  born  about  the  bes^inninsr  of 
the  fifth  century.  He  seems  to  have  been 
early  instructed  in  the  principles  of  religion. 
The  characteristics  of  his  mind  and  genius 
were  remarkable.     He  was  sold  by  his  cap- 


46  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

tors  to  a  sheik  or  chief,  who  gave  him  the 
charo:e  of  his  flocks.  So  his  life  became  a 
solitary  one,  and  he  gave  himself  much  to 
reflection.  The  seeds  of  truth  sown  in  his 
young  mind  by  good  parents,  who  had  given 
up  every  thing  for  their  religion,  began  now 
to  demonstrate  their  life  and  power  in  his 
character.  He  says  in  his  Confession,  writ- 
ten years  afterward :  "  When  I  passed  the 
night  in  the  woods  or  on  the  mountains,  I 
rose  to  pray  in  the  snow  and  rain  before  day- 
break. Yet  I  felt  no  pain.  There  was  no 
sluggishness  in  me,  such  as  I  now  find  in 
myself  (in  his  old  age) ,  for  then  the  spirit 
glowed  within  me ;  I  prayed  many  times  a 
day.  The  fear  of  God  and  love  to  Him 
were  increasingly  kindled  in  me." 

He  came  more  and  more  to  resemble  the 
Saviour  in  his  love  of  solitude,  and  in 
pleasures  felt  in  retirement  from  the  world. 
Solitude  favored  contemplation  and  self- 
scrutiny.  It  gave  him  opportunity  to  recall 
the  teachings  of  his  early  life,  and  to  revive 


HIS  HISTORY.  47 

find  review  the  past ;  to  study  tlie  Divine 
character,  and  reflect  on  the  state  of  lost 
men.  He  was  in  the  midst  of  heathenism. 
He  had  received  traditions  concerning  it 
from  his  parents,  out  of  the  grasp  of  which 
they  had  escaped.  Its  horrors,  no  doubt, 
haunted  his  childish  fancy.  But  now,  alas  ! 
in  his  early  youth,  he  was  in  the  midst  of 
it  again.  And,  though  much  alone,  he  saw 
enough  of  it  to  chill  his  blood,  and  pain 
his  deepest  heart. 

But  happily  he  escaped  from  this  bondage. 
He  was  taken  captive  a  second  time,  and 
was  again  sold  as  a  slave  in  that  heathen 
land.  It  seemed  to  be  the  will  of  God  that 
the  needed  apprenticeship  of  a  most  remark- 
able life  and  work  should  be  passed  there, 
and  should  be  long.  But  he  gained  his 
liberty,  and  returned  to  his  native  land.  His 
pious  friends  urged  him  to  remain,  but  the 
grand  purpose  of  his  life^  was  now  fixed. 
The  missionary  spirit  burned  withm  him. 
He  longed  to  go  back  to  Ireland,  not  indeed 


48  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

as  a  captive,  save  to  Christ,  but  as  a  volun- 
teer in  his  cause,  and  as  a  pioneer,  to  plant 
Christianity  there.  He  felt  within  him  an 
irrepressible  impulse  to  carry  the  gospel 
to  those  people  among  whom  he  had  passed 
the  morning  of  his  life  as  a  slave.  Many 
gifts  were  offered  him  if  he  would  but 
renounce  this  purpose,  and  remain  at  home 
with  his  friends.  They  sought  to  move  him 
from  his  purpose  by  tears,  but  he  would  not 
yield.  God  had  conquered  him ;  to  the 
Divine  will  he  had  surrendered  himself. 

So  he  went  to  the  people  of  Ireland,  to 
publish  the  gospel.  But  the  common  lot 
of  missionaries  to  the  heathen  fell  to  him. 
He  received  insults,  suffered  persecution,  and 
was  put  in  chains.  Thus  did  this  humble, 
self-appointed  missionary,  the  future  regen- 
erator of  Ireland,  and  consequently  of  Britain 
and  other  parts  of  the  world,  commence 
his  labors  of  love. 

He  was  at  this  time  about  thirty  years 
old,  the  age  at  which  his  Lord  and  Master 


HIS  SUCCESS.  49 

commenced  his  pul)lic  ministry  on  earth. 
Patricius  was  familiar  with  the  language  of 
the  natives,  and  used  to  collect  about  him 
from  time  to  time  large  assemblies  of  the 
people  at  the  beat  of  a  drum.  He  told 
'them  the  story  of  Christ,  and  of  the  way 
to  be  saved.  And  such  was  the  simplicity 
of  his  manners  and  the  fervor  of  his  elo- 
quence, that  the  people  were  greatly  moved 
by  his  discourses.  His  preaching  seemed 
to  have  an  immediate  and  overwhelming 
effect  upon  them.  Scenes  occurred  not 
unlike  those  of  Pentecost.  Great  multi- 
tudes were  apparently  converted. 

Instead  of  churches,  Patricius  established 
schools  or  cloisters  for  the  purpose  of  edu- 
cating the  masses  of  the  people,  especially 
in  Christian  knowledge ;  also  for  the  train- 
ing up  of  a  native  ministry  and  Christian 
helpers. 

This  reformer  possessed  the  organizing 
power  to  a  remarkable  degree,  as  such  men 
usually  do.     He  understood  human  natiu-e, 

4 


50  THESE  FOU   THOSE. 

not  only  by  a  large  intercourse  with  men, 
but  by  a  sort  of  intuitive  instinct,  or  extra 
sense.  He  thoroughly  comprehended  the 
heathen  nature  and  elements,  in  the  midst 
of  which  he  was  educated,  and  by  which 
he  was  now  encompassed. 

He  sought  diligently  to  make  use  of  the 
native  talent  and  resources  in  his  work.  He 
organized  his  followers  or  converts,  and 
thus  sought  to  develop  their  strength,  and 
to  teach  the  people  the  great  law  of  self- 
regeneration  through  the  Spirit's  work 
within  them.  He  thus  labored  through 
others,  and  so  the  work  spread  rapidly. 

He  aimed  to  reach  the  chiefs  or  sheiks, 
and  bring  them  to  the  obedience  of  Christ. 
So  by  interesting  the  leading  minds,  he 
secured  the  confidence  of  the  clans  or  tribes 
themselves,  and  gained  in  this  way  tolera- 
tion, not  only,  but  freedom  and  enlargement 
in  his  work.  The  simple  peasants  would 
naturally  press  about  the  man  who  had 
baptized  their  chief,  and  wish  to  know  con- 


THE  RESULTS.  51 

cerning  the  new  faith,  and  to  have  the  same 
rite  administered  to  them. 

This  rite  was  little  more  than  nominal 
at  first.  But  such  an  initiation  brought 
them  within  the  influence  of  the  missionary, 
or  native  preacher.  Patrick  dealt  tenderly 
with  their  weaknesses  and  prejudices.  He 
became  all  things  to  all  men  in  the  good 
sense.  He  showed  himself  a  friend  and 
lover  of  the  people.  He  became  as  one  of 
them  to  a  large  extent  in  his  mode  of  life 
and  temporal  afiairs.  He  spoke  their  lan- 
guage. He  adapted  himself  to  their  habits, 
and  conformed  to  their  civil  afiairs.  He 
thus  brought  the  leading  men  and  chiefs 
widely  into  his  confidence  and  interests. 
The  institutions  he  planted  thus  were 
rendered  more  easily  and  speedily  self-sup- 
porting. He  so  managed  as  to  raise  up  a 
multitude  of  teachers  and  preachers  of  the 
gospel.  In  process  of  time,  the  whole 
Island  —  wave  after  wave  of  influence  suc- 
ceeding each  other  as  from  this  center,  and 


52  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

moving  onward  and  outward  toward  the 
circumference  —  was  rapidly  brought  under 
the  influence  of  Christianity.  To  use  a 
different  figure,  this  great  providential 
movement  in  Ireland  is  illustrated  by  that 
oriental  tree  often  alluded  to,  and  so  won- 
derful in  itself  as  almost  to  inspire  rever- 
ence in  the  people, — that  first  sends  forth 
its  branches,  which,  by  a  law  all  their  own, 
reach  their  tip  to  the  earth  and  root  them- 
selves, to  become  each  a  new  trunk  or  tree, 
and  these  in  turn  send  forth  a  new  system 
of  branches,  which  taking  root  also  at  the 
extremities,  send  forth  a  still  broader  cir- 
cumference of  growth  and  foliage,  till  the 
first  seed  becomes  a  grove  or  waving  field 
of  foliage  and  verdure. 

Ireland  had  become  now  a  land  of  Chris- 
tian institutions ;  while  England,  with  few 
exceptions,  was  a  land  of  gross  heathenism. 
Hume  himself  admits  that  "by  precedent 
missions  from  the  Britons,"  meaning  those 
banished  Christians  tliat  had  been  driven  to 


THE  WORK  AFTER  HIS  DEATH,  53 

Wales  and  Scotland,  "Ireland  had  become 
Christian,  and  followed  the  doctrines  of 
their  first  teachers,  and  had  never  acknowl- 
edged any  subjection  to  the  See  of  Eome." 

When  Patricius  died,  at  the  age  of  more 
than  eighty  years,  his  disciples  continued  to 
prosecute  the  work  with  great  zeal.  A 
native  ministry,  after  his  own  heart,  had 
sprung  up  and  carried  forward  the  work. 
Christian  communities,  not  very  unlike  those 
of  the  Moravians,  were  multiplied.  Eeli- 
gious  schools  and  monasteries  abounded, 
insomuch  that  Neander  says  "the  country 
was  called  Insula  Sanctorum^  or  the  Island 
of  saints." 

Though  these  religious  institutions  had 
some  semblance  to  modern  catholic  schools 
in  form  or  name  at  least,  their  character  and 
spirit  were  wholly  unlike  these.  A  liberal 
learning  was  encouraged;  the  Scriptures 
were  studied  and  circulated;  married  per- 
sons were  connected  with  them.  Celibacy 
was  not  known  as  a  religious  observance- 


54  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Ministers,  like  others,  were  married,  ascetic 
notions  were  discarded,  and  the  dark  mys- 
ticism of  the  middle  ages,  that  hung  as  a 
cloud  over  the  church  and  the  world  so 
long,  did  not  mar  nor  tinge  this  wonderful 
reformation. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

COLUMBA   AND   COLUIIBANUS. 

CoLUMBA  —  His  celebrated  school  at  Iona  —  A 
Missionary  Hive  — How  the  work  went  on  —  Mis- 
sionaries  CALLED    CULDEES  —  ThEIR    DeVOTION    TO 

THEIR  Work  —  It  spreads  into  Englai^)  —  Colum- 
BANUS  —  His  early  life  —  Goes  to  the  Con- 
tinent—  His  Missionary  Associates  and  Ad- 
ventures —  Their  Schools  —  Native  Helpers  — 
They  Awake  the  Hostility  of  Rome. 

K  - 

FIRST  link    in  the   chain  of   mis- 


1-  sionary  effort  that  was  to  reach  our 
Anglo-Saxon  ancestors  has  been  seen. 
We  shall  proceed  to  show  another  link 
in  that  chain.  We  should  expect  that  the 
mantle  of  such  as  Patricius  would  fall  natu- 
rally upon  a  successor,  who,  like  him,  would 
be  filled  with  the  inissionary  zeal  and  with 


56  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

missionary  adventure.  Great  men  have  need 
to  be  followed  by  those  like  unto  themselves. 
They  do  not  stand  upon  earth  like  solitary 
stars  in  heaven,  but  in  clusters,  or  in  due 
order  of  succession.  Luther  did  not  com- 
plete the  great  work  of  reformation  in  Ger- 
many. Kindred  spirits,  awakened  by  his 
prayers  and  eflforts,  came  to  his  help,  entered 
into  his  labors,  carried  forward  the  work, 
and  projiagated  it  in  other  lands  after  he 
was  dead.  Like  begets  like  not  only,  but 
necessitates  the  same,  in  the  order  of  provi- 
dence and  in  that  of  human  progress. 

The  true  successor  of  Patricius  was 
Golumha,  an  Irish  scholar  and  missionary, 
trained  at  the  institution  in  Bangor,  Ireland. 
He  lived  about  one  hundred  years  after 
Patricius.  As  the  heart  of  the  latter  had 
been  turned  toward  heathen  Ireland,  his 
heart  was  now  turned  toward  heathen  Scot- 
land. 

He  embarked  with  twelve  associates  to 
the    Hebrides,    and    founded   a    celebrated 


COLUMBA'S  SCHOOL.  57 

school  or  monastery  at  lona,  or  Columkill, 
a'  small  island  just  north  of  Scotland.  He 
chose  a  favorable  spot,  insulated,  or  re- 
moved a  little  from  the  barbarism  which 
overspread  the  country  south,  which  he 
had  purposed  in  the  Lord  to  bring  under 
the  influence  of  the  gospel. 

This  school  soon  became  one  of  the  great 
liorhts  of  the  aore.  Its  influence  and  fame 
lasted  for  centm-ies.  lona  was  afterward 
resrarded  throuo:hout  Christendom  as  a  hal- 
lowed  spot.  Kings  and  queens  for  centuries 
were  entombed  there,  when  finally  super- 
stition had  come  to  take  the  place  of  piet}''. 
It  was  visited  by  pilgrims  in  the  dark  ages, 
as  Jerusalem  and  Mecca  have  since  been. 
The  Island  and  its  institution  were  held  in 
the  profoundest  veneration. 

But  whence  this  deep  veneration  for  lona  ? 
It  was  the  birthplace  of  civilization  for  Scot- 
land, Britain,  and  the  north  of  Europe.  The 
institution  founded  there  by  Columba  and 
his  associates  became  a  sort  of  missionaiy 
hive,    from    which   workers   went    forth  to 


58     •  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

spread  Christianity  over  Scotland,  Britain, 
and  Germany.  It  was  in  busy  operation 
for  several  hundred  years,  and  sent  out  a 
host  of  missionaries,  well  trained,  to  Britain 
and  the  Continent.  It  had  an  established 
reputation  for  thorough  biblical  studies,  for 
scientific  .researches,  and  for  Christian  ac- 
tivity. 

This  famed  monastery,  as  it  is  sometimes 
called,  was  to  a  large  extent  self-supporting. 
But  what  it  lacked  of  means  to  carry  for- 
ward its  work  was  supplied  probably  hj  the 
Christians  in  Ireland  ;  also  in  after  years  by 
British  Christians.  It  had  a  single  aim,  — 
the  conquest  of  Scotland  and  Britain  for 
Christ.  Its  early  pupils  were  mostly  from 
Ireland.  They  entered  the  school  and  pros- 
ecuted their  studies  with  the  purpose  of  giv- 
ing themselves  to  the  missionary  work 
among  the  Picts  and  Scots.  They  grad- 
uated at  the  school  for  a  campaign  of  life- 
service   of  missionary  hardship  for  "Christ. 

Their  teachers  often  went  into  this  pioneer 
work   themselves,  and  submitted,  like  bold 


COLUMBA'S   INFLUENCE.  59 

leaders,  to  extreme  hardship  and  suffering, 
to  inspire  their  pupils  with  courage,  to  show 
their  love  for  souls  and  z^al  for  Christ. 
Columba  himself  spent  much 'time  in  severe 
missionary  service  among  the  barbarians  of 
Scotland. 

"  This  extraordinary  person  soon  gained  so 
great  an  ascendance  both  over  princes  and 
people,  that  he  became  a  kind  of  dictator 
among  the  Scots  and  Picts,  in  civil  as  well 
as  religious  matters.  Having  obtained  a 
grant  of  the  small  island  Hii  (lona)  on  one 
of  the  Ebudae  (Hebrides) ,  he  built  a  mon- 
astery there,  which  was  long  considered  as 
the  mother  and  queen  of  all  the  monasteries 
in  Scotland;  and  its  abbots,  or  preachers, 
were  respected  as  chief  ecclesiastics  among 
the  Scots.  In  this  monastery  many  excel- 
lent persons  received  their  education,  and 
were  sent  from  thence,  not  only  to  instruct 
the  Scots  and  Picts,  but  even  to  convert  the 
Saxons."^ 

*  Henry's  History,  Book  II.,  p.  188. 


60  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

These  Irish  missionaries  were  not  under 
much  supervision  in  their  work,  though  they 
had  received  careful  training  and  instruction  at 
the  school  in  lojia.  Each  one  seems  to  have 
wrought  very  much  in  his  own  way,  though 
very  much  after  the  pattern  of  Patricius  in 
Ireland,  more  than  a  hundred  years  before. 
The  rules  and  principles  of  their  work  were 
inculcated  at  the  school.  And  when  they 
left,  they  took  their  lives  in  their  hands,  to 
be  taken  from  them,  often  very  soon,  and 
went  out  cheerfully  to  their  work  of  hard, 
repulsive  service.  They  went  to  work  for 
those  who  did  not  love  them,  nor  want  their 
service.  They  spake  words  which  those 
rough  men  did  not  believe,  nor  wish  to  hear. 
They  received  at  first  the  treatment  which 
savages  only  would  be  tempted  to  give  them. 
They  nad  no  salaries,  and  not  much  of  an 
outfit.  Their  work  was  without  reward  or 
remuneration  from  man.  They  launched 
forth  upon  a  broad  sea  of  paganism,  looking 
only  to  the  heavens  for  light  and  help ; 
rather,  to  Him  who  sitteth  and  ruleth  there. 


TESTIMONIALS.  61 

There  is  a  sublimity  in  contemplating  this 
early  missionary  work  clone  for  our  remote  an- 
cestors. It  was  disinterested,  self-forsretting-, 
heroic,  hazardous.  It  was  God-moved  !  Its 
motive  was  love  to  souls  and  love  to  Christ. 
Its  outward  aspect  was  forbidding  and  dis- 
heartening. But  the  men  trained  in  that 
school  from  time  to  time,  for  centuries  even, 
went  forth  to  this  great  work,  moved  by  the 
command  and  spirit  of  the  Great  Master. 

Says  Dr.  Lindsay  Alexander,  of  the  Scot- 
tish Antiquarian  Society,  "Columba's  mon- 
astery at  lona  was  a  seminary  of  learning,  to 
which  students  from  all  parts  were  encour- 
aged to  repair,  and  from  whence  men  went 
forth  among  the  ignorant  tribes,  Pictish, 
Celtic  and  Saxon,  to  diffuse  the  blessings  of 
civilization." 

Blier  says,  "Besides  these  missions  to  the 
different  parts  of  the  British  Isles,  the  Cul- 
dees  —  disciples  of  Columba  —  sent  messen- 
gers to  preach  the  gospel  on  the  continent." 

St.  Bernard  compares  them  to  hives  of 


62  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

bees,  or  to  a  spreading  flood.  O'Doiinell, 
punning  upon  the  name  Columha  (dove,  in 
Latin),  says,  from  the  nest  of  Columha, 
these  sacred  doves  took  their  flight  to  all 
quarters.  Dr.  Smith  observes,  "the  number 
of  them  that  went  thence  to  France,  Italy, 
and  other  countries  was  so  great  that  the 
Balladine  writers  have  remarked  that  all 
saints  whose  origin  could  not  be  traced, 
were  supposed  to  have  come  from  Ireland 
and  Scotland." 

For  such  wide-spread  activity  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  gospel,  Europe  was  indebted, 
under  Christ,  to  Columba.  As  successor  of 
Patricius,  he  was  one  of  the  greatest 
reformers  and  evangelists  that  have  appeared 
in  the  church  since  the  Apostles.  The  mis- 
sionary zeal  that  glowed  in  his  heart  was 
communicated  to  his  disciples  and  succes- 
sors. How  mighty  and  far-stretching  the 
influence  of  one  great  and  good  man  ! 

There  is  a  special  interest  connected  with 
this  work  in  the  consideration  that   it  has 


OUR  OWN  INTEREST  IN  THIS  WORK.        63 

reached  us  in  these  last  days  and  in  these 
ends  of  the  earth.  It  was  the  fountain-head 
of  our  civilization.  From  this  primitive 
missionary  enterprise  we  have  received  our 
Christianity.  Our  continent  as  well  as  a 
part  of  Christian  Europe  has  been  overspread 
with  civil  and  religious  institutions  as  a  con- 
sequence of  this  early  self-sacrificing  work. 
We  recall  to  mind  our  birthplace  always 
with  interest.  We  delight  to  trace  out  early 
landmarks,  and  set  up  memorials.  Nothing 
is  remembered  with  more  pleasure  than  one's 
birthplace  and  birthday.  This  is  in  accord- 
ance with  a  law  of  our  nature.  It  is  so  in 
national  afiairs ;  it  ought  to  be  so.  It  is 
more  especially  so  with  regard  to  the  sacred 
spot  or  birthplace  in  which  our  civil  and 
religious  institutions  had  their  origin.  A 
sense  of  sublimity  naturally  comes  over  the 
mind  as  it  recalls  this  grand  missionary  com- 
mencement of  good  things,  that  gave  to  us 
our  civilization  and  our-  Christianity,  with 
their  treasures  of  good  to  us  for  both  worlds. 


64  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

These  early  missionaries  and  their  succes- 
sors were  sometimes  styled  Ouldees  by  the 
earlier  historians.  A  convenient  distinction 
is  thus  made  between  these  early  Ionian  or 
Irish  missionaries,  and  the  Italian  or  Eomish 
missionaries,  of  whom  we  shall  soon  speak. 

There  is  some  doubt  as  to  the  significance 
of  the  word  Culdee  as  applied  to  these  mis- 
sionaries. It  is  supposed  by  som«  to  be 
derived  from  two  Latin  words,  cultus  del, 
worshippers  of  God.  These  men  were 
indeed  such  as  we  have  seen.  Their 
theology  appears  to  have  been  simple, 
not  much  obscured  by  the  meta'physics 
or  mysticism  of  the  schools.  It  contained 
the  elements  of  the  simple  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus ;  elements  always  powerful  for  sal- 
vation while  unadulterated  with  error  and 
false  philosophy.  So  they  went  forth  to 
their  work  as  with  simple  sling  and  stone, 
against  the  giant  forms  and  shapes  of 
heathenism,  and  with  grandest  results. 

They  mingled  with  the  people  freely,  and 


THE    CULDEES.  65 

identified  themselves  with  them.  They 
came  into  antagonism  with  native  customs 
and  institutions  no  further  than  it  was  neces- 
sary. They  adopted  the  manners  and  the 
habits  of  the  people  whenever  it  was  con- 
sistent for  them  to  do  so.  Their  simple 
errand  was  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  save 
the  souls  of  the  heathen.  It  was  a  grand 
errand,  one  no  doubt  upon  which  angels 
would  have  felt  it  a  privilege  to  go.  It 
comprehended  all  interests  for  both  worlds. 
They  abstained  scrupulously  from  every 
thing  that  would  hinder  their  success  in  the 
work.'  In  this  they  were  like  the  Master, 
who  would  not  be  diverted  from  the  great  end 
of  his  ministry  by  being  drawn  into  contro- 
versy or  side-issues.  Evil  men  sought  to 
entangle  him  in  his  talk,  to  commit  him 
variously  to  secular  and  subordinate  ques- 
tions ;  but  all  to  no  purpose  !  Such  effort 
was  lost !  He  kept  to  his  one  great  work, 
—the  saving  of  this  lost  world. 
So  these  men  went  to  their  work,  behaving 


66  THESE  FOE   THOSE, 

like  their  Master  and  the  great  Apostles, 
becoming  all  things  to  all  men,  so  as  that 
they  might  by  all  means  save  some. 

God  blessed  their  labors,  the  work  spread 
rapidly.  Native  helpers  and  preachers  were 
raised  up,  religions  institutions  were  estab- 
lished and  multiplied.  The  work  went  on 
very  much  as  it  had  done  the  century 
previous  in  Ireland  under  similar  circum- 
stances and  influences.  It  finally  spread 
beyond  the  Picts  and  Scots,  until  its  tide 
had  reached  the  Thames,  and  beat  at  the 
heart  of  Britain  itself.  Nor  did  the  work 
stop  there ;  but  it  reached  beyond  the 
waters,  to  the  central  and  northern  parts  of 
Europe. 

Another  of  the  great  men  that  were 
brought  out  by  the  Irish  Reformation,  — 
originated  by  Patrick,  —  was  Columbanus, 
who,  like  Columba,  his  predecessor,  was 
educated  at  Bangor  in  Ireland.  He  was 
more  than  a  hundred  years  later  than 
Columba,  and  went  directly  to  the  continent 


COLUMBANUS.  67 

upon  his  mission,  and  commenced  labor 
among  the  heathen.  Like  Columba  and 
Patricias,  he  was  evangelical  in  doctrine  and 
spirit.  He  came  from  a  comparatively  pure 
church;  and  from  the  most  thoroughly 
Christian  country  in  the  world  at  that 
time. 

It  is  difficult  to  believe  now  that  Ire- 
land was  that  country,  that  the  light  of 
Christianity  shone  there  in  those  early 
centuries  more  brightly  than  anywhere  else 
on  the  earth.  But  it  was  so  from  the  sixth 
and  seventh  centuries  onward,  till  the  great 
eclipse  of  Christianity  had  covered  that 
bright  orb,  with  the  rest  of  the  Christian 
world. 

Columbanus  took  with  him  to  the  conti- 
nent, as  Columba  had  done  a  century  before 
to  lona,  twelve  associates,  after  the  New 
Testament  pattern,  who  had  been  educated 
at  Bangor,  Ireland, —  and  in'  part  under 
his  own  special  care.  They  first  went  to 
France,  and  made  a  beginning  of  labor,  and 


68  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

next  passed  over  to  the  pagans  of  Burgundy, 
and  settled  in  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  castle 
at  the  foot  of  the  Vosges  mountains.  There 
they  preached  the  gospel,  taught  the  chil- 
dren letters  and  the  arts.  They  endured 
various  hardships  and  trials,  as  did  their 
predecessors  in  Scotland.  But  God  gave 
him  and  his  associates  a  good  degree  of 
prosperity.  The  moral  wilderness  gradually 
became  a  cultivated  field.  The  school  that 
he  planted  in  the  ruins  of  that  ancient 
castle,  soon  became  celebrated ;  though  far 
less  so  than  that  of  Columba  in  lona.  His 
mission,  that  had  been  supported  probably 
by  Irish  Christians  in  part,  now  became  self- 
supporting.  The  nobles  put  their  sons 
imder  his  care.  The  mission  was  reinforced 
from  time  to  time  by  volunteers  from  Ire- 
land. They  aimed,  like  their  predecessors 
in  Scotland  and  Britain,  to  raise  up  native 
workers  in  the  field. 

Columbanus    and   his   party  were    averse 
to   the   papal   notions,  and   so   became    ob- 


OPPOSITION  TO  HIS  WORK.  69 

noxious  to  the  Pope  at  Rome.  He  taught 
his  followers  that  externals  were  but  the 
crust  or  shell  in  religion,  that  every  thing 
depended  upon  the  motives  and  affections  of 
the  heart. 

He  was  broken  up  there,  but  the  work  did 
not  perish.  Kome  had  her  outposts  in  all 
the  Frankish  tribes,  that  arrested  finally 
his  labors  there.  The  priests  sought  to 
drive  these  missionaries  from  the  country. 
They  went  first  into  Germany,  thence  to 
Switzerland,  and  finally  to  Lombardy,  where 
they  founded  another  monastery.  Colum- 
banus  passed  the  remnant  of  his  days  there. 
He  died  early  in  the  seventh  century,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two.  The  result  of  papal 
persecution  against  him  and  his  associates, 
was  the  wider  diffusion  of  the  gospel  over 
the  Continent  of  Europe. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ITALIAN    MISSIONS. 

Gregory  —  Desires  to  be  a  Missionary  —  Is  made 
Pope  —  Augustin  and  his  Associates  start  on 
A  Mission  to  Britain  —  Become  faint-hearted  — 
Gregory  inspires  them  with  Courage  —  They 
GO  TO  Britain  —  Ethelbert,  King  of  Kent  — 
That  old  Church  —  IQng  and  people  conver- 
ted—  Augustin  made  Bishop  —  The  two  Mis- 
sionary Movements  compared  —  Grand  Harvest 
of  Results. 

HAVE  spoken  thus  far  of  the  mis- 
sionary work  in  Britain  and  on  the 
continent,  as  carried  on  by  the  Cul- 
dees,  or  missionaries  originally  from  Ireland. 
I  shall  now  speak  of  another  missionary 
movement,  that  extended  into  Britain  from 
Italy.  It  was  inaugurated  by  Gregory.  He 
is  by  some  historians  styled  Bishop  of  Eome  ; 
by  others,  Pope  of  Rome.     He  flourished  in 


GREGORY.  71 

what  may  be  called  the  transition  period  in 
the  history  of  the  church,  when  the  author- 
ity of  rival  bishops  in  different  and  distant 
cities  passed  gradually  into  the  hands  of  the 
Bishop  at  Eome.  Gregory  appears  to  have 
been  a  great  and  good  man.  Whether  we 
regard  him  as  Bishop  or  as  Pope,  he  seems 
to  have  been  ardently  bent  on  promoting  the 
kingdom  of  Christ.  The  church  in  his  time 
held  the  essentials  of  Christianity,  and  was 
influenced  in  a  good  measure  by  its  spirit. 
It  was  represented  favorably  in  the  person 
of  Gregory,  who  seems  to  have  been  in  some 
sense  its  acknowledged  visible  head. 

Gregory  formed  the  purpose  of  sending 
the  gospel  to  the  Anglo-Saxons  in  Britain. 
His  attention  was  first  called  to  that  people 
by  the  fact  that  foreign  traders,  or  freeboot- 
ers, had  exposed  a  company  of  Saxon  youth 
for  sale  in  the  streets  of  Eome.  He  was 
struck  by  their  fine  appearance,  and 
thought  he  saw  in  them  the  elements  of  a 
noble  manhood.     He  was  at  this  time  only  a 


72  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

teacher,  or  an  abbot,  in  a  school  at  Rome. 
He  learned  that  those  youth  were  of  a  hea- 
then race  inhabiting  Britain.  He  resolved 
to  go  on  a  mission  to  that  people,  and  had 
already  commenced  his  journey  thither  (says 
Bede),  when  he  was  recalled  by  the  then 
Bishop  of  Eome. 

After  various  fortunes,  Gregory  was  him- 
self at  the  head  of  the  church  at  Eome.  In 
his  iDrevious  hard  experiences  in  life  the 
missionary  spirit  had  lost  none  of  its  ardor. 
The  zeal  he  had  when  he  was  only  an  abbot 
or  teacher,  to  spread  the  gospel,  was 
heightened  to  a  flame  in  later  life,  when  the 
responsibilities  of  the  church  were  upon  him. 
He  appointed  Augustin,  with  forty  others, 
to  go  on  a  mission  to  England,  to  bring  the 
people  of  that  country  to  a  knowledge  of 
Christianity. 

These  persons  while  on  their  way,  think- 
ing over  the  distance  to  the  country,  and 
the  perils  of  the  journey;  of  the  fact,  also, 
of  the   ferocious    character    of    the    people, 


ESTABLISHES  A  MISSION.  73 

and  of  their  ignorance  of  the  language,  were 
frightened,  and  faltered  in  their  purpose. 
They  sent  Augustin  back  to  Rome  to  repre- 
sent their  difficulties  to  Gregory,  and  obtain, 
if  possible,  a  release  from  the  appointment. 
He  discountenanced  their  weakness,  stimu- 
lated their  courage,  and  told  them  to  proceed 
on  their  mission  without  hesitation  or  delay. 
His  communication  was  in  a  Christian  style, 
but  was  energetic  and  authoritative  in  tone. 
He  told  them  of  positive  success,  of  a  glo- 
rious reward  and  crown  in  heaven,  if  faithful 
to  the  Great  Master.  He  warned  them  to 
despise  all  dangers  and  difficulty,  and  to  let 
nothing  turn  them  back  again  from  the 
work. 

He  thus  inspired  his  missionaries  with  new 
courage  and  interest.  They  went  forward 
to  their  distant  field,  and  began  the  work. 

Ethelbert  was  then  king  of  Kent,  the 
largest  of  the  seven  Saxon  kingdoms. 
These  constituted  what  was  called  the 
Heptarchy,  afterwards  consolidated  into  one 


74  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

kingdom.  Ethelbert  was  a  pagan.  They 
sought  an  interview  with  him  at  once.  He 
took  his  own  time,  but  at  length  gave  them 
a  hearing  in  the  open  air.  They  told  him 
frankly  the  errand  upon  which  they  had 
come.  He  replied  that  he  could  not  so 
easily  abandon  the  religion  of  his  ancestors, 
but  they  might  use  their  best  endeavors 
to  convert  his  subjects.  He  offered  them  a 
home  in  his  Capitol,  since  Canterbury,  and 
told  them,  as  they  had  come  so  far  to  do  his 
people  good,  he  would  give  them  the  means 
of  living. 

Thus  countenanced  and  encouraged  by  the 
king,  these  missionaries  commenced  their 
labors,  and  are  said  to  have  behaved  them- 
selves with  great  discretion  and  prudence. 
They  took  no  more  from  the  king's  bounty 
than  barely  sufficed  for  their  scanty  diet. 
Their  severe  and  saintly  mode  of  life  gained 
for  them  the  confidence  of  the  king  and  his 
people. 

An  antiquated  church,  that  had  once  be- 


REKINDLING   THE  ALTARS.  75 

longed  to  the  banished  Christians,  was  offered 
them  for  their  place  of  worship.  There  they 
held  their  meetings  for  worship,  preached 
the  gospel  to  the  people,  and  baptized  them 
in  the  name  of  the  Trinity. 

It  is  a  circumstance  of  some  interest  that 
these  Roman  Christians  were  permitted  the 
privilege  of  rekindling  the  altar-fires  in  this 
old  Christian  sanctuary  after  centuries  had 
passed  away.  It  had  been  built  by  Christian 
hands.  It  had  been  dedicated  to  Christian 
worship.  It  had  been  a  spiritual  birthplace 
and  home  to  those  simple-hearted  Celtics. 
Pure  incense  had  gone  up  from  that  altar  in 
other  ages  ;  hallowed  associations  had  sancti- 
fied the  house.  But  it  had  fallen  into  bad 
hands.  Heathen  invaders  had  desecrated 
that  sanctuary;  heathen  abominations  and 
uses  had  defiled  it.  It  had*  shared  the  fate 
of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  when  its  occu- 
pants were  gone  into  captivity,  and  pagan 
rites  were  performed  there.  Other  sanctu- 
aries had  been  burned  to  ashes  by  the  Saxon 


76  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

invaders ;  numbers  that  ministered  at  the 
altar  had  been  murdered  with  countless  mul- 
titudes of  humble  worshippers,  and  other 
multitudes  had  left  home  and  altars  to  save 
their  lives,  and  enjoy  their  religion.  But 
there  this  one  old  relic  of  other  and  better 
days  still  stood.  It  survived  the  reign  of 
heathenism,  and  awaited  the  return  of  Chris- 
tianity to  its  old  seats. 

The  missionaries  having  thus  obtained  the 
royal  license,  entered  the  city  and  their 
sanctuary  in  solemn  procession,  carrying 
before  them  a  picture  of  Christ  and  a  silver 
cross,  chanting,  as  they  went,  "  We  beseech 
thee,  O  Lord  of  thy  mercy,  let  thy  wrath 
and  anger  be  turned  away  from  the  city  and 
from  thy  holy  place,  for  we  have  sinned. 
Hallelujah." 

Shall  we  doubt  that  these  were  good  men, 
that  they  had  the  love  of  Christ  and  of  the 
heathen  in  their  hearts  ?  It  is  true  they  used 
forms  and  rites  that  are  strange  to  us  now, 
and   are   unknown   in    Protestant    worship. 


DOUBTFUL  MEANS,  11 

They  sought  to  make  an  impression  on  these 
heathen  through  the  senses.  They  no  doubt 
made  too  much  use  of  the  imagination,  and 
of  human  fear.  They  did  not  discriminate 
sufficiently  between  superstition  and  senti- 
ment, emotion  and  principle.  Magic  and 
miracle  were  believed  in,  at  that  time,  and 
were  sometimes  attempted  as  a  means  of 
spreading  the  gospel ;  but  great  apparent 
effects  followed  their  labors.  The  missiona- 
ries themselves  partook  somewhat  of  the 
superstition  and  fanaticism  that  often  attend 
surprising  events,  and  are  connected  with 
remarkable  results.  Success  not  unfre- 
quently  turns  the  heads,  if  not  the  hearts 
of  men ! 

In  a  short  time  the  king  and  multitudes 
of  his  subjects  were  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity, if  not  to  Christ.  Angus  tin  is  said  to 
have  baptized  at  least  ten  thousand  on  one 
Christmas  day.  This  fact  is  well  attested  in 
church  history.  How  he  accomplished  this, 
we  are  not  told.     As  to  the  genuineness  of 


T8  THESE  FOR   THOSE, 

many  of  these  conversions  we  have  no  assur- 
ance, and  may  entertain  serious  doubts. 
The  king,  Neander  tells  us,  had  been  pre- 
pared for  this  change  through  the  influence 
of  Bertha,  his  wife,  who,  it  seems,  was  a 
Christian,  though  by  what  means  we  are  not 
assured. 

Ethelbert  bestowed  distinguished  marks  of 
favor  upon  those  who  followed  his  example 
in  matters  of  religion.  But  he  did  not  make 
his  owm  religious  views  a  law  for  his  sub- 
jects, but  left  each  one  to  his  own  free 
choice. 

In  this  he  seems  to  have  followed  the 
example  of  the  Christian  emperors  at  Eome, 
in  the  preceding  centuries ;  who  tolerated 
paganism  in  the  empire,  while  they  encour- 
aged Christianity  among  their  subj  ects .  They 
held  that  the  conscience  must  be  free  in 
religious  matters  ;  that  an  enforced  religion 
was  powerless  except  for  evil ;  that  a  true 
faith  had  need  to  carry  with  it  the  convic- 
tions   of  the    conscience    and   reason.     The 


ext:ension  of  the  work.  79 

king  not  only  tolerated,  but  protected 
heathenism,  so  far  as  related  to  the  convic- 
tions of  the  people ;  while  he  favored  and 
promoted  Christianity  among  his  subjects. 

This  new  mission  was  now  fairly  inaugur- 
ated. It  was  apparently  successful.  The 
most  powerful  of  the  seven  kings  had  em- 
braced Christianity,  with  a  great  multitude 
of  his  people.  From  Kent  the  Christian 
religion  had  extended  to  the  other  kingdoms 
of  the  Heptarchy,  and  mingled  thus  with  the 
wave  of  Christian  influence  that  had  come 
from  the  North,  and  originally  from  Ireland. 

Augustin  sent  two  of  his  associates  to 
Rome,  to  carry  the  good  tidings  to  Gregory, 
who  received  the  news  with  exceedinsr  great 
joy.  Thus  encouraged  in  the  enterprise,  he 
determined  to  neglect  no  means  in  his  power 
to  convert  all  the  idolatrous  Britons  to 
Christianity.  He  reinforced  the  mission, 
sent  letters  to  the  king  and  queen  of  Kent, 
and  a  model  for  the  government  of  the 
church  of  England,  with  various  presents 
and  relics. 


80  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Meanwhile  Augustin  had  been  made 
Bishop  of  the  English  church.  Gregory- 
advised  him  not  to  destroy  the  heathen 
temples  of  the  Britons,  but  to  take  away  the 
images  and  gods.  He  told  him  to  erect 
altars  in  those  temples,  to  wash  the  walls 
with  holy  water,  to  deposit  relics  in  them, 
and  thus  make  them  into  Christian  sanctu- 
aries. We  see  here  a  tendency  to  the 
superstitions  that  soon  came  to  characterize 
and  cripple  the  Romish  church.  According 
to  the  venerable  Bede,^  he  is  said  to  have 
given  his  bishop  direction  to  accommodate  the 
ceremonies  of  the  Christian  worship  as  far 
as  possible  to  those  of  the  heathen  worship, 
so  that  the  people  might  not  be  too  much 
shocked  at  the  change.  These  counsels 
were  of  doubtful  wisdom.  Their  tendency 
was  to  corrupt  in  the  end  the  simplicity  of 
the  Christian  worship  and  doctrine. 

After  the  death  of  Ethelbert,  there  was  a 
relapse  of  the  church  into  many  of  the  old 
pagan  customs ;  but  in  a  subsequent  refor- 
>  Book  I. 


THE  WAVES  MEET.  81 

mation,  Christianity  regained  its  former  hold 
upon  the  people. 

I  have  no  need  to  go  into  the  history  of 
the  extension  of  Christianity  over  the  other 
and  lesser  kingdoms  of  Britain.  It  would  be 
little  else  than  a  repetition  of  what  has  been 
stated  above.  I  will  say  here,  that  the  waves 
of  Christian  influence  through  the  Culdean 
movement  from  the  north,  and  those  of  the 
Italian  movement  from  the  south,  had  now 
met  and  mingled  in  the  heart  of  Britain. 
These  seven  ancient  Saxon  kingdoms  had 
come  to  feel  the  power  of  Christianity,  as 
it  had  reached  them  from  Eome,  under 
Gregory,  and  from  lona  and  its  monastery, 
under  Columba.  The  exact  line  where  these 
opposite  waves  of  missionary  influence  met, 
it  is  not  possible  or  necessary  for  us  now  to 
trace.  It  is  enough  that  we  know  that  they 
did  meet,  and  as  a  consequence  of  these  move- 
ments, heathenism  as  such  was  swept  from 
Britain,  and  the  land  of  our  forefathers  was 
made  Christian.  From  this  grand  epoch 
6 


82  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

our  civilization  dates.  But  for  these  foreign 
missionary  movements  in  the  distant  past, 
our  inheritance  as  a  people  would  have  been 
that  of  heathenism  with  all  its  horrors. 

Is  it  said  that  subsequent  missionary 
movements  might  have  reached  us  and 
changed  our  condition  ?  But  that  would  not 
alter  the  fact  of  our  indebtedness  to  missions 
for  our  Christian  civilization.  Whether  it 
were  in  the  seventh  or  seventeenth  century 
that  the  regeneration  of  our  ancestry  by 
missionary  effort  took  place,  the  fact  of 
our  indebtedness  to  that  regenerating  work 
remains  the  same.  But  we  are  to  take 
things  as  they  stand.  Our  change  from 
barbarism  to  Christianity  took  place  at  that 
early  age,  and  in  consequence  of  missionary 
labor.  To  this  work,  therefore,  we  owe  all 
we  have  that  is  dear  to  us  upon  earth,  and 
all  that  we  hope  for  that  is  blessed  in  heaven. 
The  same  would  be  trne  if  the  change  had 
been  delayed  for  centuries.  It  must  come 
about  in    this     one  way,    namely,    through 


COMPARATIVE  VIEW.  83 


foreign  missions,  by  which  all  progress  in 
propagating   the    gospel   in   the   world   has 

baen  made. 

If  the  question  of  the  comparative  purity 
of  these  two  missionary  movements  is  raised, 
it  is  easily  answered.  Though  both  were 
genuine,  in  a  charitable  view,— in  motive 
and  spirit  the  Culdean  movement  had  the 
advantage  over  the  Roman.  It  dealt  more 
directly  with  the  conscience  and  spiritual 
nature.  Rome  tampered  more  with  the 
fears  and  feelings  and  superstitions  of  the 
people.  It  dealt  too  much  in  the  sensational 
for  the  best  results.  The  Irish  missionaries 
thought  more  of  culture  and  of  schools,  in 
the  way  of  strengthening  the  intellect  and 
character  of  the  people.  The  ItaUans,  not 
neglecting  these  wholly,  laid  more  stress  on 
ceremonies,  observances    and  rites. 

And,  doctrinally,  the  Culdees  (Irish  and 
Scottish  missionaries)  were  sounder  and 
more  thoroughly  read  than  the  Roman  mis- 
sionaries.    They  thought  more  of  preaching 


84  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

than  these ;  took  more  pains  to  teach  and 
edify  the  church,  and  thus  strengthen  the 
foundations,  than  did  the  southern  mission- 
aries, who,  not  neglecting  these  wholly, 
depended  too  much  on  impression  and 
appeals  to  the  senses.  The  one  dealt  more 
with  the  internal,  the  other  with  the 
external  man.  While  the  northern  mis- 
sionaries had  little  to  do  with  forms  and 
show,  with  rites  and  relics,  the  southern 
missionaries  had  much  to  do  with  these, 
which,  in  the  end,  paved  the  way  to  corrup- 
tion in  the  church. 

I  would  say  in  general,  in  comparing  these 
two  grand  missionary  movements,  the 
strength  and  staple  was  from  the  north. 
The  work  of  the  Irish,  or  Culdees,  had  the 
element  of  durability  and  denseness  in  it ; 
while  that  of  the  Italians  had  more  of 
light-armed  and  dazzling  visibility  in  its 
course.  But  the  blended  work,  as  we  have 
seen,  made  an  era  in  our  Christian  history, 
for  which  we  should  be  devoutly  thanld'ul. 


GRAND  RESULTS.  85 

Our  history,  therefore,  is  a  missionary 
history.  Our  civilization  commenced  in 
missions .  The  American  Revolution ,  indeed , 
advanced  our  nationality.  Previous  revolu- 
tions in  England,  and  the  consequent  coming 
of  the  Pilgrims  to  these  shores,  gave  an 
onward  impulse  to  our  civilization.  The 
revival  of  letters  still  earlier,  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  human  rights  by  Magna  Charta, 
were  steps  in  the  march  of  our  race.  Yfe 
recognize  these  eras,  we  are  thankful  for 
them.  But  we  must  not  forget  the  pit  from 
whence  we  were  digged,  nor  the  fact  that  we 
owe  our  conversion  from  barbarism  to  Chris- 
tianity primarily  to  the  foreign  missionary 
work,  done  for  us  in  those  early  times.  But 
for  that  mission  work,  there  would  have 
been  no  Magna  Charta,  nor  light  of  letters 
and  learning,  nor  those  vast  throes  and  over- 
turnings  that  have  tended  to  civil  and  Chris- 
tian freedom.  There  would  have  been  no 
May  Flower  nor  independence,  nor  free  gov- 
ernment upon  the  basis  of  our  noble  Consti- 


86  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

tution.  But  for  missions  sent  to  us  thirteen 
hundred  years  ago,  we  should  not  have  had 
the  Bible,  nor  the  Sabbath,  nor  the  church, 
nor  the  school-house.  Our  institutions,  lit- 
erary and  religious,  would  not  have  existed. 
All  this  vast  change  that  has  come  to  us  and 
that  has  been  the  glory  of  our  land,  has  come 
from  foreign  missions  early  planted  in 
Britain. 


TOPIC    II. 

OUR   INDEBTEDJSTESS  TO   MISSIONS, 
AS  A  NATION. 


CHAPTER    Vn. 

MISSIONS   AMONG   THE   INDIANS. 

The  Negro  axd  Indian  Problems  ■— Pees.  Grant's 
Views  — Peace  Commissioners  — Their  Charges 

AGAINST  the  MISSIONS  SHOWN  TO  BE  FaLSE. 


■-^e^ 


J" 


lOREIGN  missions  have  proved  a 
blessing    to    our    nation   in   several 

aspects.  For  the  sake  of  conven- 
ience, and  for  unity  and  brevity  of  impres- 
sion, I  shall  confine  myself  mainly  to  the  use 
missions  have  been  to  the  country  in  their 
influence  upon  the  Indian  tribes,  in  the  way 
of  preparing  them  for  civilization  and  citi- 
zenship. Other  considerations  of  interest, 
showing  the  use  of  foreign  missions  to  the 
nation  as  such,  could  properly  come  in  under 
this  To];>ic;  but  they  belong  more  appropri- 
ately to  the    Topics   that   follow,    showing 


90  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

their  use  to  the  government,  and  the  good 
that  has  come  of  them  jpecuniarily. 

In  treating  the  Indian  question  as  relates 
to  the  nation,  I  omit  for  brevity  the  earlier 
endeavors  of  the  Pilgrims  to  evangelize  the 
aborigines  ;  as  also  the  later  efforts  of  Eliot, 
the  Mayhews,  Brainard,  Edwards  and  others. 
These  labors  were  of  use  to  the  colonies  as 
well  as  to  the  Indians.  But  as  the  reader  is 
supposed  to  be  familiar  with  those  facts  of 
history,  I  prefer  to  consider  the  subject  of 
missions  to  the  aborigines  of  the  country 
since  our  proper  national  existence  com- 
menced. 

The  presence  of  the  Negro  race  and  of  the 
Indian  tribes  upon  our  soil  has  been  a  grave 
hindrance  to  the  prosperity  and  peace  of  the 
country.  These  races,  so  opposite  in  their 
nature,  have  long  been  under  the  yoke  of 
galling  oppression,  or  else  in  a  condition  of 
great  civil  disparagement.  Our  local  rela- 
tions to  them,  our  political  obligations  to 
them,  have   involved   us   in   difficulty,    and 


THE  NEGRO   AND   INDIAN  PROBLEM.      91 

presented  problems  to  the  statesman  that 
have  been  hard  to  solve,  and  exceedingly 
embarrassmg  to  the  nation.  Great  injustice 
has  been  done  them.  The  nation  itself  has 
been  involved  in  the  wrong.  Advantage 
has  been  taken  of  their  weakness,  and  of  their 
dependence  upon  the  * '  superior  race." 

The  problem  as  respects  the  Negro  race 
has  been  solved,  or  is  in  the  process  of  set- 
tlement. With  regard  to  the  Indian  tribes, 
or  the  red  men,  the  same  cannot  be  said. 

Our  President  well  says,  in  his  recent  mes- 
sage, 1869;  "From  the  foundation  of  the 
government  to  the  present,  the  management 
of  the  original  inhabitants  of  this  continent, 
the  Indians,  has  been  a  subject  of  embarrass- 
ment and  expense ;  and  has  been  attended 
with  continuous  robberies,  murders  and  war. 
From  my  own  experience  upon  the  frontier 
and  in  Indian  countries,  I  do  not  hold  either 
legislation  or  the  conduct  of  the  whites  who 
come  into  contact  with  the  Indians,  blame- 
less for  these  hostilities.     The  past,  however, 


92"  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

cannot  be  undone,  and  the  question  must  be 

met   as  we   now   find   it A  system 

which  looks  to  the  extermination  of  a  race,  is 
too  horrible  for  a  nation  to  adopt  without 
entailing  upon  itself  the  wrath  of  all  Chris- 
tendom, and  engendering  in  citizens  a  disre- 
gard for  human  life  and  the  rights  of  others, 
most  dangerous  to  society." 

These  sensible  words  of  President  Grant, 
supplemented  by  humane  suggestions  and 
recommendations,  are  painfully  corroborated 
by  the  recent  report  of  the  Indian  Peace 
Commissioners.  In  reviewing  the  Downing 
and  Chivington  massacres,  they  declare  :  "  It 
is  enough  to  say  that  these  have  scarcely  a 
parallel  in  the  records  of  Indian  barbarity. 
No  one  will  be  astonished  that  a  war  ensued 
which  cost  the  nation  thirty  millions  of  dol- 
lars, and  carried  conflagration  and  death  to 
the  border  settlements."  The  Commis- 
sioners say,  moreover :  "  The  result  of  the 
year's  campaign  satisfied  all  reasonable  men 
that  war  with  the  Indians  was  useless  and 


INJUSTICE    TO    THE   INDIAN.  93 

expensive.  Fifteen  or  twenty  Indians  in- 
deed have  been  killed,  at  an  expense  of  more 
than  a  million  of  dollars  apiece,  while  hun- 
dreds of  our  soldiers  lost  their  lives,  and 
many  of  our  border  settlers  had  been 
butchered." 

In  another  part  of  the  report  the  Commis- 
sioners say :  "  It  is  useless  to  go  over  the 
history  of  Indian  removals  from  the  East- 
ern to  the  Middle  States,  from  thence  to  Illi- 
nois and  Wisconsin  ;  thence  to  Missouri  and 
Iowa;  thence  to  Kansas,  Dakota,  and  the 
plains  beyond  the  region  of  agriculture, 
where  the  chase  is  a  necessity,  and  whither 
now  we  cannot  tell !  " 

The  Commissioners  comment  in  strong 
terms  on  the  effect  of  this  policy  upon  the 
character  of  the  Indians  themselves,  —  of 
the  bitter  memories  which  such  continued 
wrongs  have  planted  in  the  minds  of  those  red 
men.  "It  is  now  rather  late  in  the  day," 
say  they,  "to  think  of  obliterating  from  the 
thoughts  of  the  present  generation  the  re- 


94  THESE   FOR    THOSE: 

membrance  of  these  wrongs.  Among  civil- 
ized men,  war  usually  springs  from  a  sense 
of  injustice.  The  best  possible  way,  then, 
to  avoid  war,  is  to  do  no  act  of  injustice. 
But,  it  is  said,  our  wars  with  the  Indians 
have  been  almost  constant.  Have  we  been 
uniformly  unjust?  We  answer  unhesitat- 
ingly, yes!'' 

Of  the  administration  of  Indian  affairs 
at  Washington,  the  Commissioners  speak 
strongly.  "Nobody  pays  any  attention  to 
Indian  matters.  When  the  progress  of  set- 
tlement reaches  the  Indian's  home,  the  only 
question  considered  is,  how  best  to  get  his 
lands  !  When  they  are  obtained,  the  Indian 
is  lost  sight  of!" 

Speaking  of  those  that  have  the  direction 
of  Indian  affairs  under  government,  the 
Commissioners  express  themselves  with  great 
boldness.  "The  records  are  abundant  to 
show  that  agents  have  pocketed  the  funds 
appropriated  by  the  government,  and  driven 
the    Indians   to   starvation.      It   cannot    be 


EFFECTS    OF   PARTISANSHIP.  95 

doubted  that  Indian  wars  have  orisrinated 
[largely]  from  this  cause.  The  Sioux  war  in 
Minnesota,  so  disastrous  to  the  white  pop- 
ulation, is  supposed  to  be  produced  in  this 
way.  These  officers  have  been  selected 
from  partisan  ranks,  —  not  so  much  on  ac- 
count of  honesty  and  qualification,  as  for 
devotion  to  party  interests,  and  [hence]  their 
readiness  to  apply  the  money  of  the  Indian 
to  promote  their  own  selfish  schemes." 

I  shall  be  excused  for  makinoc  so  large 
use  of  this  able  and  generally  candid  Docu- 
ment.^ 

It  throws  light  upon  one  of  the  most 
interesting  problems  that  afiect  our  Christian 
civilization.  The  Indian  is  yet  to  be  recog- 
nized, not  only  as  a  human  being,  but  as  an 
American  citizen,  having  equal  rights  in  the 
nation  with  the  white  man.  But  the  course 
taken  by  the  government,  and  those  wishing 
to  possess  their  lands,  has  been  unjust  and 
harassing  to    the  Indians,  and  ha^  tended  to 

1  No.  97  Exec.  Office. 


96  THESE   FOR    THOSE,- 

put  into  the  distance  the  day  when  a  mutual 
understanding  can  be  had  between  them  and 
ourselves,  and  when  the  privilege  of  citi- 
zenship can  be  properly  put  into  their 
hands. 

The  Commissioners  make  the  following 
extraordinary  statement :  "  While  our  mis- 
sionary societies  and  benevolent  associations 
have  annually  collected  thousands  of  dollars 
from  the  charitable,  to  be  sent  to  Asia  and 
Africa  for  the'  purpose  of  civilization, 
scarcely  a  dollar  is  expended  or  a  thought 
bestowed  on  the  civilization  of  Indians  at  our 
very  doors."  This  statement  is  remarkable 
when  compared  or  contrasted  with  the  facts 
in  the  case.  These  gentlemen,  of  distin- 
guished .names,  make  the  mistake  of  attempt- 
ing to  speak  of  what  they  were  evidently 
ignorant.  I  doubt  whether  they  really 
knew  that  there  was  such  a  body  as  the 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  For- 
eign Missions  in  existence  ;  or  the  Presb3^e- 
rian  Board  of  Missions  I     They  spoke  from 


THE   FACTS   OF    THE   CASE.  97 

their  own  standpoint  as  civilians,  and  from 
very  vague  impressions  and  narrow  views  as 
to  religious  enterprise,  and  missed  the  facts 
marvellously. 

The  truth  is,  the  American  Board  of  Com- 
missioners has  in  the  last  half-century  sent 
forth  more  than  five  hundred  laborers,  male 
and  female,  to  our  Indian  frontiers,  —  not 
including  native  preachers  and  teachers 
raised  up  from  among  those  sons  of  the 
forest.  Our  one  Mission  Board  has 
expended  in  that  time  upon  our  Indian 
tribes,  instead  of  scarcely  a  dollar,  more 
than  eleven  hundred  thousand  dollars  !  Six- 
teen difierent  missions  have  been  established 
in  regions  that  stretch  almost  from  the  Atlan- 
tic to  the  Pacific,  by  this  Board.  We  have 
occupied,  from  the  first,  more  than  ninetj^ 
difierent  stations.  The  American  Board 
besfan  its  efibrts  for  the  amelioration  of  the 
Indian  race,  more  than  half  a  century  ago, 
and  through  great  trials  and  in  most  disheart- 
ening   circumstances,    often    against    obsta- 


98  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

cles  apparently  insurmountable,  —  at  times 
with  little  success,  at  other  times  with  abun- 
dant harvests,  has  labored  on  with  great 
persistency,  to  bring  those  intractable  tribes 
into  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

HOW     MISSIONS      HAVE     HELPED    THE     INDIAN 
WORK. 

Their  Object  —  Tend  to  Civilization  —  Illus- 
trations —  Testimony  of  Mr.  Eiggs  —  Vaeied 
Success  —Indian  Traits  —  Causes  of  the  great 
Uprising  —  How  Christian  Indlvns  helped  — 
The  great  Awakening — The  Value  of  Mis- 
sionary Labors. 


^  &  T    will   devolve    on   me   to    show  in 

m^2  what  way,    and  to  what  extent,  the 

work   of  missions    has    wrought    in 

favor  of  the  civilization  of  the  Indian  tribes, 

and  how  these  have    helped  to  fit  them  for 

American  citizenship. 

It  is  not  the  primary   object   of  foreign 
missions  to  civilize  the  heathen,  nor  to  regu- 


100  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

late  heathen  societ}^  It  is  to  make  them 
Christians,  and  thus  fit  them  for  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.  The  missionary  is  expected  to 
labor  principally  for  these  great  results.  He 
is  instructed  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  not 
the  arts  and  sciences  and  industries  of 
civilized  life,  but  the  gospel  of  reconciliation 
by  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ !  And  yet  the 
gospel  is  itself  the  great  civilizer  of  the 
nations.  Nothing  has  tended  so  directly  to 
bring  the  Indian  tribes  into  a  state  of  order 
and  industry  as  the  presence  of  Christianity 
among  them.  The  gospel  first,  and  civiliza- 
tion with  citizenship  will  follow  as  a  result. 
In  their  earliest  Christian  labor,  we  find 
the  missionaries  aiding  the  Indians  with  the 
plow,  to  prepare  their  corn-patches  for 
planting.  It  soon  came  to  be  understood 
by  them  that  plowing  the  ground  not  only 
made  planting  and  hoeing  easier,  but  was  the 
guaranty  of  a  better  crop.  The  missionaries, 
without  pay  from  government,  were  careful 
to  see   that  those   sent   among  the   Indians 


FIRST   OBJECT  IN  MISSIONS.  101 

officially  were  faithful  in  the  way  .of  teach- 
hig  them  agriculture.  The  missionaries 
worked,  —  and  why  should  not  the  Indians 
work  ?  Equal  pains  were  taken  to  teach  the 
women  to  do  the  work  appropriate  to  them. 
The  missionary  ladies  taught  the  girls  to 
sew,  spin,  and  knit ;  their  mothers  too  were 
taught  to  weave  cloth.  The  females  attend- 
ing school  spent  a  part  of  their  time  in 
learning  to  sew,  spin  and  weave.  The 
Dakota  Friend,  a  newspaper  established  by 
the  mission,  partly  in  English,  and  partly 
in  Dakota,  had  a  good  influence  upon  those 
who  could  read,  and  became  a  banner  of 
intelligence  and  civilization  to  the  tribe. 
"The  teaching  of  the  Indians,"  says  one  of 
the  missionaries,  "which  had  been  continued 
wherever  practicable  during  all  those  years 
of  opposition  and  discouragement,  began  to 
produce  manifest  fruits." 

Says  James  W.  Lynd,  a  young  man  of 
education,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Senate 
of  Minnesota,  but  was  killed  on  the  first  day 


102  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

of  the  gi;eat  outbreak :  "  The  influence  of 
the  missions  among  the  Dakotas  has  ever 
been  of  a  direct  and  energetic  character. 
Its  first  efforts  were  directed  more  to  the 
Christianizing  than  to  the  civilizing  of  the 
Sioux  (or  Dakotas) ,  but  of  late  the  mission- 
aries, though  their  exertions  in  the  former 
respect  are  not  at  all  abated,  have  been  more 
earnest  in  their  endeavors  to  teach  the  In- 
dians to  iDlant  and  till.  Their  work  has 
been  a  ceaseless  and  untiring  effort  to  pro- 
mote their  welfare." 

Dr.  Williamson,  a  missionary  to  the  Sioux, 
speaks  of  the  good  effects  of  the  missionary 
work  upon  the  social  and  industrial  habits  of 
this  people.  "  The  advance  in  agriculture 
and  house-building  is  greater  even  than  in 
religion  and  letters.  Last  year,  for  the  first 
time,  the  Dakotas  raised  more  corn  and  pota- 
toes than  they  needed  for  their  own  con- 
sum^Dtion  during  the  year.  They  have  sold 
many  bushels  of  each,  and  some  have  yet  to 
spare.     There  are  now  in  the  neighborhood 


MODE   OF  LABOR.  103 

fifteen  Dakota  families,  living  in  log  cabins, 
and  two  in  framed  houses.  None  of  our 
male  members  who  have  wintered  here  live 
in  tents.  The  cabins  consist  of  a  single 
room,  but  have  one  or  more  glass  windows, 
and  nearly  all  of  them  a  stove."  This  testi- 
mony shows  that  the  gospel  works  out  the 
problem  of  civilization  for  the  Indians,  and 
is  thus  conferring  a  benefit  upon  the  nation. 
The  author  of  The  Gospel  among  the  Da- 
hotas  says  :  "  Schools  occupy  a  very  impor- 
tant place  in  the  missionary  work.  Among 
the  Dakotas,  the  school  was  always  subordi- 
nate to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  But  it 
was  nevertheless  regarded  as  a  most  impor- 
tant and  indispensable  auxiliary.  To  the 
work  of  school-teaching  all  the  members  of 
the  mission  gave  time,  some  for  longer  and 
some  for  shorter  periods.  The  teaching  done 
at  the  various  stations  in  the  day-schools  was 
mostly  in  their  own  language.  It  was  found 
to  be  the  most  productive  teaching.  Eeading, 
writinof    and   arithmetic    were  the  branches 


104  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

taught.  They  learned  to  read  their  own  lan- 
guage easily,  and  that  knowledge  we  found 
to  be  helpful  in  learning  English."  He* 
speaks  of  employing  native  teachers  with 
most  encouraging  success.  "The  desire  was 
to  bring  the  means  of  education  within  the 
reach  of  all  the  Indians  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  and  to  encourage  and  stimulate  all 
to  avail  themselves  of  its  advantages.  The 
missionaries  had  given  much  time  and  labor 
to  the  preparation  of  suitable  elementary 
books,  as  well  as  hymns,  translations  of 
Scripture,  and  other  means  of  instruction." 
He  says  subsequently  :  "  Education  has  made 
rapid  progress,  and  with  little  effort  and 
expense  from  us.  Their  teachers  have  been 
from  among  themselves,  a  most  encouraging 
fact,  as  looking  toward  their  ultimate  civiliza- 
tion. The  ability  to  read  and  to  write  has 
come  to  be  valued  among  the  Santee  Dakotas 
in  Nebraska  and  in  other  settlements  upon 
the  great  prairies."  All  that  has  been  re- 
quired of  the  mission  for  the  last  two  years 


ADVANCFMENT,  105 

has  been  to  furnish  books,  the  Indians  them- 
selves doing  the  work  of  teaching  under  the 
missionaries'  care."  This  writer  mentions 
some  thirty  American  female  teachers,  who 
have  labored  from  first  to  last  among  these 
Dakotas  to  educate  their  children,  and  train 
up  native  teachers  for  the  work  of  instruction. 

Mr.  Lynd,  who  spent  a  number  of  years 
among  the  Dakotas,  studying  their  language 
and  customs,  had  a  book  in  the  course  of 
preparation  concerning  them,  the  fragments 
of  which  were  recovered,  and  are  now  in  the 
keeping  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Minne- 
sota. 

In  1851,  he  says  (Gospel  among  the 
Dakotas),  "A  dictionary  and  grammar  of 
the  Dakota  language  was  printed  under  the 
direction,  and  chiefly  at  the  expense,  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  at  Washington.  It 
is  a  missionary  contribution  to  science,  and 
possibly  it  may  be  the  means  of  perpetuating 
the  remembrance  of  the  Dakotas,  beyond  the 
time  when  they  shall  have  disappeared  from 


106  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

the  continent.  The  dictionary  contains  about 
fifteen  thousand  words.  Prof.  Henry  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  says,  'there  has 
been  more  demand  for  it  (the  dictionary) 
than  for  any  other  volume  published  by  the 
Institution.'  It  has  been  distributed  to  the 
various  colleges  and  seminaries  of  learning 
in  this  country  and  in  Europe." 

Farther  on  the  writer  says,  "Voices  have 
come  to  us  also  from  Fort  Ransom,  from 
Abercrombie,  and  Fort  Totten.  They  are 
askinsr  for  books  and  teachers.  The  work 
of  civilization  and  evangelization  is  being 
pressed  upon  us.  We  ask,  does  not  God  mean 
their  redemption  ?  Why  those  four  ordained 
[native]  ministers  of  the  gospel  ?  Why  those 
other  five  [native]  licentiates  ?  What  means 
the  large  number  of  ruling-elders  and  class- 
leaders,  raised  up  in  those  six  native 
churches?  What  is  the  meaning  of  that 
army  of  more  than  half  a  thousand  profes- 
sors of  the  religion  of  Jesus  among  the 
Dakotas  ?     What  means  those  books  in  their 


TESTIMONY.  107 

language,  yea,  those  words  of  Christ  and 
his  apostles,  and  of  Moses  and  David? 
What  does  all  this  mean  but  the  evangeliza- 
tion and  civilization  of  the  Dakotas?" 

In  this  way  the  veteran  missionary  puts 
the  questions,  and  answers  them  triumph- 
antly himself.  I  add,  yes,  it  means  all  this, 
and  in  accomplishing  this,  glory  will  come 
in  some  perceptible  degree  to  our  nation. 
If  there  be  glory  and  righteousness  in  our 
future  as  a  nation,  it  will  be  in  elevating  the 
degraded,  purifying  the  sinful,  in  gathering 
the  scattered,  and  saving  the  lost. 

As  this  subject  is  of  importance  to  us  as 
a  people, —  the  effect  of  missions  upon  our 
nation  and  civilization,  —  I  shall  add  other 
facts  that  rest  upon  authentic  testimony, 
which  go  to  show  the  good  influence  of  the 
missions  upon  our  Indian  tribes,  in  pro- 
moting civilized  habits,  and  fitting  them  for 
American  citizenship. 

In  order  to  correct  results  with  reference 
to  the  characteristics  of  the  Indians,  and  the 


108  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

right  method  of  dealing  with  them,  we  have 
need  to  avoid  exaggeration  or  extravagant 
notions  concerning  their  barbarity  on  the 
one  hand,  and  of  their  passiveness  or  stoicism 
on  the  other.  The  phrase,  the  poor  Indian, 
always  injured,  or  ever  on  the  defensive, 
denotes  something  of  sentimentalism,  rather 
than  a  true  knowledge  of  Indian  character. 
Or  the  feeling  of  horror  toward  the  red  man 
that  would  put  him  out  of  the  way  as  a 
ferocious  beast,  grows  out  of  a  misappre- 
hension of  his  nature  and  claims  upon 
our  humanity. 

Says  the  Rev.  Mr.  Riggs,  long  a  mission- 
ary among  the  red  men  :  "  The  Indians  are 
neither  so  bad  nor  so  good  as  many  would 
represent  them  to  be.  In  fact,  they  are 
found  to  be  possessed  of  all  the  evil  traits  of 
character  which  inhere  in  our  fallen  humanity. 
Also,  all  the  native  goodness  common  to 
man,  that  is  dependent  for  its  development 
on  the  humanizing  influence  of  Christian 
civilization,    is    found    in     them.     Without 


TREATIES   WITH  THE  INDIANS.  109 

doubt,  the  Dakota  uprising  was  wicked  as 
well  as  insane.  And  justice  demanded  that 
a  proper  punishment  should  be  visited  upon 
the  guilty." 

Reference  is  had  here  to  the  terrible 
uprising  and  massacre  that  occurred  in  Min- 
nesota in  1862,  of  which  I  will  make  a  brief 
record. 

The  government  has  long  been  in  the 
habit  of  making  treaties  with  the  Indian 
tribes  as  if  they  were  independent  nations, 
and  had  a  stable  and  responsible  government 
of  their  own.  This  has  been  a  source  of 
great  evil  and  mischief  both  to  the  Indians 
and  to  the  white  people.  There  is  really  no 
proper  treaty-making  power  in  our  Indian 
tribes  as  a  general  fact.  The  chiefs  are  not 
so  firmly  seated  in  office,  and  do  not  hold 
any  such  relations  of  authority  and  perma- 
nency to  the  natives,  as  would  justify  them 
in  acts  amounting  in  their  bearings  to  any 
thino:  like  a  revolution,  or  that  would 
warrant    the    forcible    execution   of    objec- 


110  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

tionable  treaties.  These  contracts,  or 
so-called  treaties,  are  often  negotiated  while 
the  chiefs  or  counsel  are  not  in  a  state  to 
transact  business.  The  interests  of  the 
tribe  may  not  have  been  consulted  or  even 
thought  of  when  the  bargain  was  made.  It 
may  not  have  been  generally  known  among 
the  people  that  any  such  treaties  had  been 
negotiated.  And  when  in  after  time  our 
government  undertakes  to  press  such  con- 
tracts or  treaties  to  the  execution,  the  worst 
consequences  follow. 

A  treaty,  so  called,  had  been  made  with 
the  Dakotas  about  the  year  1850,  that  trans- 
ferred large  portions  of  their  land  in  Minnesota 
to  the'  United  States.  No  sooner  was  this 
fact  known  than  great  multitudes  of  white 
people  rushed  t'o  the  Dakota  country  for 
settlement.  Every  one  sought  for  the  most 
desirable  location,  town-sites  in  great  abun- 
dance were  selected,  surveyed  and  plot- 
ted, and  corner  lots  ran  up  to  extravagant 
prices. 


THEIE  INJUSTICE.  ,  HI 

Men  went  everywhere  seeking  and  occu- 
pying the  fine  prairie  farms  that  joined  the 
woodlands.  Villages  and  communities  grew 
up  as  by  magic.  It  was  a  revolution  in  the 
Indian  territory.  But  it  was  a  hated  one,  a 
hated  presence  that  appeared  among  them, 
monopolizing  their  lands  and  good  things, 
and  so  it  was  that  cruelty  and  barbarism 
followed  injustice  and  outrage  upon  their 
rights.  But  all  this  proceeding  had  the 
guaranty  of  a  treaty  I 

The  history  of  the  dreadful  massacre  of 
1862  is  known  to  many  of  my  readers. 
Scarcely  any  thing  in  the  annals  of  Indian 
warfare  has  exceeded  it  in  barbarity.  The 
white  settlers,  men,  women -and  children, 
were  indiscriminately  butchered,  or  saved 
themselves  by  a  precipitous  flight.  Perhaps 
more  than  a  thousand  human  lives  were  sac- 
rificed by  the  madness  and  merciless  violence 
of  the  Indians  within  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks. 

There  is  one  thing,  however,  that  awakens 


112  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

gratitude  iu  the  case.  The  Indians  were 
divided  among  themselves  during  these  hos- 
tilities, one  party  doing  all  they  could  to 
destroy  the  white  people,  the  other  doing  all 
they  were  able  to  do  to  save  them,  to  help 
them  make  their  escape,  or  to  deliver  captives 
taken  in  war  to  their  friends.  In  these  ways 
they  sought  to  weaken  the  hostile  party  by 
forming  a  loyal  one.     This  was  done  —  let 

•  it  be  recorded  —  by  Christian  Indians,  and 
such  as  were  under  their  influence.  Paul,  an 
elder  in  one  of  the  mission    churches,  and 

*  president  of  the  Hazelwood  Kepublic,  to  be 
referred  to  hereafter,  was  the  most  energetic 
and  fearless  in  his  opposition  to  the  rebellion  ; 
and  under  his  leadership,  the  white  captives 
were  often  helped  to  escape,  and  hostile 
Indians  were  destroyed. 

Infidelity  had  charged  that  the  missionary 

.    work  among   the    Dakotas    was    a   failure ; 

that  the  so-called  Christia,n  Indians  were  at 

that  time  enemies  to  the  white  men.     But 

the  Eev.  G.  H.  Pond,  a  missionary  to   the 


CHRISTIAN  INDIANS.  113 

Indians,  triumphantly  asks,  "Were not  those 
Christian  Indians,  who  rescued  companies 
of  our  people  from  death,  and  conducted 
them  through  perils  to  places  of  safety? 
Were  not  those  Christian  Indians,  who  sac- 
rificed their  all  and  risked  their  lives  to 
protect  individuals  ?  Were  not  those  Chris- 
tian Indians,  who  efiected  the  deliverance 
from  bondage  and  death,  and  frequently 
worse  than  death,  of  hundreds  of  captives 
at  Camp  Release?  Did  not  the  leaders  of 
that  band  bear  Christian  names  given  to 
them  in  the  holy  ordinance  of  baptism  ? "  ^ 

To  what  length  this  massacre  would  have 
gone,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  humane  of- 
fices and  unparalleled  sacrifices  of  friendly 
Indians  under  Christian  influence,  and  in  the 
way  of  holding  the  insurgents  in  check,  and 
in  delivering  or  protecting  the  captives,  — 
it  is  impossible  to  say.  It  is  well  known 
that  our  missionaries,  as  a  result  of  the  war, 

^  Rigg  s  History  of  Dakotas ;  Records  of  Historical 
Society  of  Minnesota. 
8 


114  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

proved  a  great  blessing  to  the  Dakotas  in 
prison  and  elsewhere.  They  were  useful 
to  them  both  in  temporal  affairs  and  in  spir- 
itual things.  Between  one  and  two  thou- 
sand persons  were  apparently  blessed  by 
their  labors  at  this  terrible  crisis.  A  savage 
temper  gave  place  apparently  to  a  Christian 
spirit.  A  remarkable  change  had  come  over 
the  spirit  of  these  prisoners.  The  penal 
hand  of  government  rested  upon  them  for 
their  crimes.  Some  of  them  were  executed, 
and  died  apparently  as  Christians  die.  But 
most  of  them  were  released,  and  are  show- 
ing to  the  world  in  many  instances,  by  moral 
lives,  industrious  habits,  and  a  strictly  loyal 
bearing,  the  great  blessing  the  Christian  re- 
ligion has  been  to  them. 

It  may  not  be  too  late  to  add  here,  that  in 
addition  to  the  alleged  wrongs  which  the  Da- 
kotas had  suffered  from  the  white  men,  the 
rebellion  at  the  south,  at  that  time  apparently 
successful,  had  had  a  mischievous  influence. 
The   whites    and  those  of  mixed  blood  had 


A    GREAT   CHANGE.  115 

gone  largely  into  the  war.  This  gave  the 
unfriendly  Indians  an  opportunity  to  try  their 
hand  also  at  insurrection  and  bloodshed.  ^ 
But  waiving  the  causes  that  led  to  this 
shocking  event,  we  have  evidence  of  the  value 
of  the  missionary  work  among  these  Indians 
at  that  critical  time,  —  in  dividing  their  coun- 
sels, in  mitigating  the  horrors  of  war,  and 
in  arresting   it  before    it  had  come   to   the 

worst. 

This  has  been  the  effect  or  influence  of  mis- 
sions among  the   Indians  generally,     wher- 
ever they   have  been  established.     If  there 
has  been  hostility  between  the  natives  and 
the  government,  while  the  missionaries  may 
not  Tlways  have  taken  sides  with  the  govern- 
ment, as  in  the  case  of  the  removal  of  the 
Indians    from   the    Southern  States    to    the 
West  (to  be  noticed   hereafter),  they  have 
always  exerted  a   conciliatory  and  healthful 
influence  in  the  circumstances.      I  was  told 
by  a  missionary  to  the  Indians  in  Georgia  be- 
fore their  removal,  Kev.  W.  Potter,  that  it 


116  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

it  had  not  been  for  two  or  three  mission- 
aries, the  removal  of  those  Indians  would 
have  been  impossible,  or  far  more  disastrous 
to  them,  and  expensive  to  the  government, 
than  it  actually  was.  Having  asserted  their 
own  rights  in  the  courts,  and  made  the 
painful  and  costly  protest,  in  the  way  of  long 
imprisonment,  the  missionaries  used  their 
influence  finally  to  make  the  Indians  willing 
to  submit  to  their  fate,  and  go  to  their  new 
homes  in  peace. 

It  seems  but  fair  to  take  these  Dakota 
Indians  as  an  illustration  of  the  usefulness 
of  missions  among  the  tribes  generally.  We 
know  them  better  than  we  know  most  other 
natives  of  the  forest.  We  have  been  mixed 
up  with  them  sadly  of  late  years.  They  are 
in  the  highway  of  the  vast  progress  of  our 
civilization  westward.  A  full  history  of 
these  Indian  tribes  and  mixed  affairs  to  which 
I  have  referred,  together  with  the  insurrec- 
tion and  tragedies  that  followed,  with  the 
direct  and  indirect  influence  of  the  mission- 


MISSIONARY  PRISONERS,  117 

aries  and  friendly  Indians  generally,  cannot 
fail  to  show  the  good  effect  of  missionary 
work  among  them,  and,  throngh  them,npon 
the  country  that  has  had  them  in  charge.  It 
is  a  record  that  will  be  read  at  a  future  day. 
It  will  stand  on  the  pages  of  history.  I  will 
only  say  now,  there  is  no  missionary  record 
in  the  world  more  honorable  than  theirs, 
nor,  perhaps,  more  tragical.  The  men  and 
women  in  our  service  among  those  Indians, 
while  they  have  had  less  to  inspire  enthusi- 
asm, or  the  spirit  of  romance  and  adventure, 
than  others,  have  been  patient  and  self-sac- 
rificing in  their  work,  have  braved  difficulties 
and  hardships  with  a  true  Christian  heroism. 
Their  work  has  been  for  Christ  and  his  king- 
dom ;  they  labored  primarily  and  principally 
to  turn  these  men  unto  the  Lord,  and  make 
them  loyal  to  him.  But  their  work  has  been 
none  the  less  a  work  for  the  Nation^  and  in 
the  interests  of  our  Christian  civilization.  No 
missionaries  in  the  world  have  ffiven  more 
attention  to  the  habits  and  general  improve- 


118  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

ment  of  the  people  where  they  have  labored 
than  the  missionaries  to  the  Indians.  They 
have  given  attention  to  education,  to  social 
customs  and  culture,  the  arts,  industries  and 
modes  of  life  among  the  natives.  They  may 
have  erred  here  in  the  excess  of  these  efforts, 
or  they  may  have  been  providentially  led. 
The  natives  were  soon  to  become  citizens  in 
the  republic,  to  take  a  part  with  us  in  our 
civilization,  and  become  a  part  of  the  nation. 
It  was  important  that  they  should  be  initiated 
early  into  the  habits  and  customs  of  civilized 
life.  This  work  had  need  to  be  done,  and 
done  as  quickly  as  possible,  though  subordi- 
nately  to  the  primary  and  principal  object 
of  the  missions,  which  was  a  spiritual  one. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FACTS    ILLUSTEATED. 

Delaware  Tribe  —  0  jib  was  —  Ottawa  —  Cherokees 

—  Their     Removal  —  Present    Prospects  —The 
Choctaws  —  Their    Fate  —  Chickasaws  —  Creeks 

—  Six  Tribes  —  Osage  Indians  —  Oneida  Nation 

—  Iroquois  —  Shawnee  —  Seminole  —  Omaha  — 
Peoria  —  Oregon  Indians. 

\W  CANNOT  do  justice  to  this  subject, 
u#^  without  giving  some  general  views 
of  the  work  among  the  several 
Indian  tribes  where  missixDns  have  been 
established.  Some  of  these  missions  have 
been  broken  up  by  violence,  some  of  them 
had  done  their  work  and  retired,  or  gave  it 
over  to  other  hands,  or  yielded  it  up  to  the 
Home  Missionary  Society,  as  the  waves  of 
civilization  have  rolled  on  westward.     But  it 


120  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

will  be  seen  that  in  almost  every  case  where 
a  mission  has  been  planted  among  the 
Indians  of  our  country,  there  has  been  a 
degree  of  success,  and  in  some  instances 
there  has  been  marvellous  success.  The 
nation  as  such  is  reaping  the  benefits  of  that 
success  at  the  present  time.  Many  a  tribe, 
softened  in  temper  and  habit  by  Christian 
culture,  and  that  had  turned  toward  civil- 
ized life,  has  disappeared,  to  mingle  with 
other  tribes  or  join  some  other  destiny.  I 
contend,  however,  that  the  Indian  element 
is  a  different  thing  to  deal  with  now  from 
what  it  would  have  been  if  it  had  not  been 
for  the  hand  of  Christian  civilization.  The 
leaven  of  gospel  influence  had  been  dif- 
fused among  them;  the  steps  that  remain 
to  be  taken  to  bring  the  red  man  into  the 
ranks  of  our  civilization  will  be  shorter  and 
easier  by  reason  of  what  has  been  done  for 
them  by  Christian  missions.  The  mixing  or 
blending  of  Indian  tribes  in  the  country, 
their  breaking  up  often  into  parts,  and  coming 


JOHN  STEWARD.  121 

again  into  new  relations  and  combinations, 
taking  indeed  new  names  in  consequence, 
may  have  led  to  some  confusion  of  facts, 
dates,  and  tribes  possibly  in  this  work.  I 
am  indebted  here  to  various  sources  of  infor- 
mation,—  Annual  Eeports,  publications  of 
the  American  Board,  Records  of  Historical 
Societies,  the  works  of  Newcomb,  Riggs, 
Williamson  and  others. 

Delaware  Tribe,  with  Wyandots  and 
others,  near  the  Sandusky  river.  The  way 
was  opened  for  mission  work  among  them  in 
a  remarkable  manner.  Several  chiefs  were 
converted  and  became  useful  in  Christian 
work.  Hundreds  were  hopefully  converted. 
This  work  was  began  by  John  Steward,  a  free 
colored  Virginian.  He  became  a  Christian 
hopefully,  and  was  moved  to  undertake 
some  kind  of  missionary  work.  Though 
he  had  not  much  education,  he  felt  deeply 
impressed  that  it  was  his  duty  to  call 
sinners  to  repentance.  His  mind  seemed  to 
be   di'awn   toward   the   northwest,    to   labor 


122  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 


among  some  people  to  whom  he  was  then 
a  stranger.  He  forsook  all,  and  went  alone 
toward  that  unknown  land.  Like  others 
of  his  brethren  who  went  north  for  their 
liberty,  he  struck  a  straight  course  through 
wildernesses,  across  mountains  and  rivers, 
without  bridges  or  highways  or  compass. 

He  finally  reached  the  Sandusky  Eiver, 
where  was  a  tribe  of  the  Delaware  Indians, 
This  was  the  place  whither  the  Lord  had' 
led  him.  He  went  into  one  of  the  cabins 
and  seated  himself.  But  he  found  that  they 
did  not  understand  his  language.  And 
they  were  making  ready  for  an  Indian 
dance,  and  soon  commenced  their  orgies 
with  such  frantic  zeal  that  Steward  was 
terrified  at  first.  At  the  close  of  the  dance, 
he  began  to  sing,  and  when  he  ceased,  they 
asked  him  to  sing  more.  Silence  reigned  in 
the  assembly  at  once.  He  then  spoke  to 
them,  through  an  interpreter,  on  the  subjecl 
of  religion. 

At   another   feast,  Steward   gave   them   a 


CHRISTIAN  INFLUENCE.  123 

second    discourse,    expatiating    upon    prac- 
tical religion.     They  listened  with   respect- 
ful attention.     He  then  gave   out  notice  of 
a  meeting  at   the  house  of  his  interpreter ; 
but   instead  of  a  large   assembly,  only  one 
old  woman  attended.  -  But  he  preached  as 
earnestly  as  if  hundreds  were  present.     The 
next    day   two    were   there.     His    audience 
began  to  increase.     He  went  from  cabin  to 
cabin,  talking  and  singing  and  praying  with 
the  Indians.     Soon  large  crowds  flocked  to 
his  meetings,  and    such   was   their   concern 
upon    spiritual    subjects,    that   they   almost 
entirely   neglected    their    secular    business. 
Steward  persevered  in  his  work,  and  God 
blessed   his   labors.     He   had   already  been 
licensed  as  a  preacher,  and  God  made  him 
instrumental  in  opening  the  way  to  a  perma- 
nent mission  among  the  Delawares  on  the 
Sandusky,   by  the   Methodist   people.     But 
his  fatiguing  labors  and  fastings  wore  upon 
his   body,  and  laid   the   foundations    of  his 
premature  death. 


124  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

Notice  these  facts.  An  ignorant  man,  with- 
out license,  appointment  or  patrons,  turns 
his  back  upon  all  that  he  loves,  and  goes,  he 
knows  not  where,  under  the  guidance  of  an 
unusual  impulse,  to  find  a  place  where  he 
could  labor  for  Christ.  He  falls  among  In- 
dians. He  is  a  stranger  to  them,  and  they 
to  him.  He  did  not  know  a  word  of  their 
language.  The  Indian  instinct  revolts 
asrainst  his  color  and  features.  He  is  of  a 
despised  race,  despised  even  of  the  Indians. 
But  the  melody  of  his  voice  attracts  them, 
charms  them !  The  saintliness  of  his  ap- 
pearance touches  them.  At  length,  his 
words  and  appeals  thrill  them.  Souls  are 
converted.  His  ridiculing  interpreter,  who 
used  to  protest  against  the  message  as  he 
translated  it,  at  last  surrenders  himself  to 
the  truth.  His  influence  comes  to  be  felt 
upon  the  whole  tribe  ;  and  gradually  their 
heathen  habits  give  place  to  Christian  wor- 
ship !  What  is  this  but  the  power  of  God? 
Surely  he  chooses  the  things  that  are  not,  to 


OJIBWA   INDIANS.  125 

bring  to  naught  the  things  that  are.  God 
works  by  means  that  most  honor  him.  He 
chose  to  plant  that  mission  to  bless  a 
humble  few  of  his  chosen  ones  of  the  red 
race,  by  the  instrumentality  of  the  hum- 
blest hands. 

The  Ojibwa  Indians  were  located  near 
Lake  Superior,  and  upon  the  head-waters 
of  the  Mississippi.  The  mission  was  estab- 
lished in  1828.  The  circumstances  and 
character  of  the  Indians  were  such  as  to 
involve  great  hardship  and  privation  on  the 
part  of  the  missionaries.  Several  stations 
were  established,  schools  were  opened,  a 
church  was  formed,  and  books  were  printed. 
Some  progress  was  made  in  civilization. 
The  natives  learned  to  build  houses,  to  till 
the  soil,  and  raise  crops.  The  Indians  were 
taught  to  read  and  write.  A  part  of  the 
Bible  was  translated  into  their  language. 
Various  changes  and  fortunes  came  to  these 
Indians.  Mr.  Wheeler,  in  the  Herald, 
Sept.,  1854,  said:  "The  past  year  has  been 


126  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

one  of  progress  among  this  people.  Our 
meetings  upon  the  Sabbath  have  been  well 
attended.  A  number  of  Indians,  including 
three  of  their  chiefs,  have  identified  them- 
selves with  the  Christian  party,  and  call 
themselves  praying  Indians.  They  were 
never  more  disposed  to  listen  to  the  truth 
than  now." 

Ottawa  Indians,  associated  with  the 
Kickapoos  and  Putawatomes,  were  located 
formerly  in  Indiana,  speaking  the  same 
language  and  existing  in  the  same  social 
condition.  Missionary  efforts  were  made 
among  them  as  early  as  1817.  The  confi- 
dence of  some  of  the  chiefs  was  secured. 
A  church  was  formed.  Prejudice  began  to 
give  way,  especially  on  the  part  of  the 
Ottawas.  Attention  was  given  to  the  out- 
ward improvement  of  the  people.  At  length 
more  prominence  was  given  to  their  spiritual 
welfare.  A  chief,  called  Noonday,  was  con- 
verted, who  made  special  efforts  to  promote 
good    morals    among    his    people.      Eight 


CHEROEEES.  127 

Indian  youths  were  sent  to  the  Academy  at 
Hamilton,  N.  Y.,  to  receive  a  fuller  educa- 
tion. The  prospects  of  the  tribe  began  to 
brighten,  when  the  billow  cf  emigration 
swept  them  westward  to  the  Indian  Territory, 
beyond  the  Mississippi.  But  in  their  new 
relations  they  carry  the  leaven  of  the  gospel 
with  them. 

Cherokee  Indians  inhabited  the  northern 
part  of  Georgia,  North  Carolina  and  Tennes- 
see. A  mission  was  established  among  these 
Indians  in  1817.  The  Moravians,  or  United 
Brethren,  had  labored  among  this  tribe,  as 
also  Christians  from  the  States.  They 
inhabited  a  region  of  country,  held  by 
treaty,  as  large  perhaps  as  the  State  of 
Massachusetts.  And  the  number  of  the 
tribe  was  greater  than  that  in  several  of 
the  territories  of  our  country,  and  in  some 
of  the  States  that  have  been  received  into  the 
Union.  Through  the  labors  of  missionaries 
principally,  who  had  attended  to  education 
and  the  social   welfare  of  the  people,  this 


128  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

tribe  had  become  in  some  good  degree  civil- 
ized. They  had  come  to  live  in  houses,  had 
farms,  raised  stock,  builded  chm-ches,  and 
had  courts  of  justice.  They  maintained 
schools  and  other  institutions  of  civilization. 
They  were  thoroughly  domesticated,  and  to 
a  large  extent  Christianized.  A  larger  por- 
tion of  the  people  were  connected  with  the 
church,  than,  perhaps,  of  those  in  the  sur- 
rounding States. 

The  story  of  their  removal  by  the  General 
Government  to  the  Indian  Territory  west  of 
Arkansas,  is  an  old  story,  and  need  not  be 
repeated  here  in  its  horrid  details. 

A  modern  writer  has  taught  that  emigra- 
tion tends"  to  barbarism.  If  it  be  so,  what 
must  be  the  effect  oi  forced  emigration,  and 
the  violent  brealdng  up  of  early  and 
endeared  associations?  This  movement, 
though  not  well  meant,  was  no  doubt  provi- 
dential, and  has  resulted  in  ultimate  good  to 
those  Indians.  They  were  taken  from  a 
greater   evil  to    come,    were   saved   from  a 


CHOCTAWS.  129 

greater  oppression,  and  a  more  terrible  fate 
in  common  with  those  States.  They  have 
now  a  home  guaranteed  them,  which  no 
power  would  dare  attempt  to  take  away 
from  them.  What  was  lost  in  point  of  civ- 
ilization and  general  prosperity,  has  been 
providentially  regained  since  in  their  new 
home.  They  have  now  more  than  they 
were  forced  to  leave.  They  are  virtually  a 
Christian  people,  and  together  with  other 
tribes  to  which  we  shall  have  occasion  to 
refer,  will  no  doubt  soon  take  their  place  as 
a  Christian  State  in  the  American  Union. 

The  Choctaw  Indians  had  their  location 
in  the  State  of  Mississippi, —  their  territory 
reaching  from  side  to  side  of  the  State, 
thus  dividing  it  into  two  parts.  They  were, 
of  course,  inconvenient  neighbors  to  the 
Mississippians.  A  mission  was  established 
among  them  in  1818,  by  the  American 
Board.  The  tragical  story  and  fate  of  the 
Cherokees,  their  immediate  neighbors,  as 
touching  the  removal  to  the  West,  is  theirs 


130  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

also.  This  mission  was  not  at  first  so  suc- 
cessful as  that  among  the  Cherokees.  The^^ 
were  less  inclined  to  Christianity  and  to  civ- 
ilized life.  Their  habits  as  touching  intem- 
perance, infanticide  and  other  abominations 
were  grossly  bad  But  after  many  years  of 
patient  toil,  the  missionaries  began  to  see 
the  fruit  of  their  labor,  in  better  habits, 
better  laws,  and  enlarged  spiritual  pros- 
perity. The  Choctaw  prohibitory  law  ante- 
dates the  "Maine  law"  by  many  years.  The 
abominable  practice  of  infanticide  was  abol- 
ished ;  rules  of  civilized  and  social  life  were 
adopted ;  and  the  Choctaws  came  to  stand 
on  a  social  and  Christian  level  with  the 
Cherokees,  and  perhaps  with  many  of  their 
white  neighbors  around  them. 

We  find  them  at  last  in  their  new  and 
distant  homes ;  but,  alas  !  more  than  deci- 
mated by  the  removal.  They  are  neighbors 
again  to  the  Cherokees ;  and  h-ave  since 
kept  pace  with  them  in  the  arts  of  civiliza- 
tion, and  Wid  soon  stand  with  them  in  the 


CHICKASAW  INDIANS.  131 

rights  of  American  citizenship.  These  facts 
must  be  taken  into  the  account  as  we  calcu- 
late the  benefits  of  our  missionary  work  to 
the  nation. 

Chickasaw  Indians.  These  occupied  the 
extreme  northern  part  of  Mississippi.  Their 
tribe  was  small  as  compared  with  their 
neighbors,    the    Choctaws    and    Cherokees. 

Missionary  operations  were  commenced 
among  them  about  the  year  1820.  A  few 
years  afterward,  the  American  Board  estab- 
lished a  mission  there.  An  extensive  re- 
vival of  religion  followed.  The  blessing 
extended  to  several  of  the  stations.  The 
Indians  came  long  distances  to  hear  the 
word  of  God.  The  worst  characters  were 
subjects  of  this  revival.  Schools  were 
established,  temperance  prevailed,  and 
civilized  customs  took  the  place  of  savage 
irreo^ularities. 

But,  alas !  the  tide  turned.  They  came 
under  the  yoke  of  State  laws ,  They  were 
transferred  to  the  West,  where  they  mingled 


132  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

with  other  tribes.  A  part  of  them,  however, 
have  come  to  share  in  the  civilization  of  the 
Choctaws. 

Creek  Indians.  A  mission  was  estab- 
lished in  this  tribe  in  1822.  They  re- 
sided within  the  limits  of  the  States  of 
Georgia  and  Alabama.  In  1832  the  Ameri- 
can Board  established  a  mission  there,  which 
continued  for  a  short  time.  These  Indians 
were  removed  to  the  territory  west  of 
Arkansas  al^out  the  year  1833.  The  tribe 
then  numbered  about  twenty  thousand.   » 

Though  a  measure  of  success  attended 
these  early  missionary  labors,  the  Creeks 
were  found  to  be  a  hard  people  to  bring 
under  Christian  influence.  A  part  of  the 
Bible  was  printed  in  their  language.  Other 
books  were  prepared.  Hymns  were  com- 
posed, and  sung  at  their  meetings,  in  their 
own  language.  They  are  now  located  in  the 
Indian  Territory,  and  will  probably  soon  be 
taken,  with  other  tribes,  into  the  National 
Union. 


THE  SIX   TRIBES.  133 

PuTAWATOME  IxDiAxs.  Tliesc  Were  a 
small  tribe.  A  mission  was  established 
among  them  in  1823,  on  Fox  River,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Fort  Clark.  Schools  were  set 
np,  and  civilized  customs  progressed.  A 
revival  of  religion  was  enjoyed,  and  more 
than  a  hundred  joined  the  church.  A  rill  of 
good  for  the  country,  as  well  as  for  the  king- 
dom, has  followed  these  beginnings. 

The  Six  Teibes  reside  in  Western  New 
York.  Missionary  labor  began  among  them 
through  the  American  Board,  in  1826. 
Christian  effort  had  been  made  there  before 
this  time.  Several  stations  were  established 
by  the  Board.  They  have  advanced  in 
civilization  since.  Attention  has  been  given 
to  education  and  the  various  industrial  arts. 
They  had  a  missionary  press,  that  proved 
very  useful  to  the  people.  From  time  to 
time  revivals  of  religion  have  been  enjo3^ed  ; 
the  spirit  of  benevolence  has  been  encour- 
a2:ed,  and  relioious  ordinances  maintained. 
Civilians  in  New  York  regard  this  work  with 
favor,  and  as  a  good  to  the  State. 


134  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

Osage  Indians.  The  mission  among  these 
was  commenced  in  ,  1820.  They  dwelt 
in  the  State  of  Missouri.  A  division  of  the' 
tribe,  called  Neoshoo,  inhabited  a  territory 
west  of  the  State.  The  first  efforts  here  were 
made  by  the  Presbyterians.  The  American 
Board  entered  the  field  a  few  years  after. 
The  tribe  was  at  length  removed  to  the 
Indian  Territory.  The  Board  said  in  their 
Ee'port,  in  substance :  "  A  very  few  have 
left  their  former  migratory  habits,  or  ex- 
changed their  absurd  superstitions  for  Chris- 
tian doctrines  and  practice.  Some  have  been 
educated,  and  a  small  number  have  em- 
braced the  gospel.  Something  has  been 
done  for  them  that  will  tell  on  their  future 
civilization." 

Oneida  Indians.  A  mission  was  com- 
menced here  about  the  year  1830,  by  a 
young  Indian  of  the  Mohawk  tribe,  and  with 
much  success.  Mofe  than  a  hundred  made 
a  profession  of  religion.  The  missionary 
spirit    prevailed    among   the  people.     They 


ONEIDA   INDIANS. 


135 


carried  the  gospel  to  the  Onondagas,  where 
many  were  converted.  They  carried  the 
gospel  to  still  other  tribes,  where  churches 
were  formed,  and  schools  were  established. 
Many  hundreds  were  hopefully  renewed 
through  these  missionary  labors.  And,  as 
would  be  expected,  civilized  habits  and  arts 
soon  took  the  place  of  heathen  customs. 
The  work  began  in  the  true  missionary  spirit, 
burning  in  the  heart  of  this  young  converted 
Mohawk,  who,  without  commission  or  ap- 
pointment, set  up  the  standard  of  the  cross 
in  this  poor  tribe.  It  is  not  wonderful  that 
the  converts  came  to  possess  the  same  spirit, 
and  were  moved  to  go  to  still  other  tribes, 
to  tell  the  people  of  Christ  and  his  death. 
And  as  these  tribes  have  melted  away,  or 
been  identified  with  the  American  people, 
or  with  other  tribes,  this  leaven  of  Chris- 
tianity has  not  died  out.  It  is  an  influence 
that  will  not  die,  — but  will  be  for  good,  not 
only  to  these  Indians,  but  for  the  nation. 
Iroquois  Indians,  located  in  Illinois.     A 


136  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

mission  was  established  among  them  in  the 
year  1830.  Some  success  followed.  A  noted 
conjuror,  or  prophet,  was  converted,  and 
became  eminently  useful  to  the  mission. 
Hundreds  were  hopefully  converted,  and 
Christian  schools  were  established  in  conse- 
quence. These  are  but  items  in  our  account 
of  indebtedness  as  a  country,  to  the  foreign 
missionary  cause. 

The  Shawnee  Indians,  inhabiting  Kan- 
sas. Missionary  efforts  were  made  among 
these  tribes  in  1830.  Improvements  were 
made  in  their  moral  and  industrial  habits. 
Churches  and  schools  were  established.  The 
mission  was  adopted  by  the  Methodist  church 
south. 

Seminole  Indians.  A  mission  was  es- 
tablished among  them  in  1848.  This  mis- 
sion is  an  offshoot  from  the  Creek  mission. 
The  Seminoles  are  a  feeble  tribe,  harboring 
deep  resentments  toward  the  whites.  And 
yet,  some  fruit  has  come  of  this  mission. 
A  native  Seminole  has  been  laboring  faithfully 


031  AHA,  PEORIA   AND    OREGON.  137 

among   this  people  for  years.     Good  influ- 
ences never  perish. 

.>Omaha  Indians,  in  Nel)raska.  These  peo- 
■ple  are  associated  with  the  Ottoes,  and  are 
about  equal  to  them  in  point  of  numbers. 
A  mission  was  established  here  about  the 
year  1846,  in  the  vicinity  of  Council  Blufi*, 
on  the  Missouri  Eiver.  A  school  for  chil- 
dren was  commenced.  The  privilege  was 
extended  to  the  Pawnees,  Puncus,  and 
others.  Missionary  premises  were  com- 
pleted. Something  was  done  to  elevate 
and  save  these  tribes.  That  little  will  never 
cease  to  be  felt  for  good.  So  we  may  con- 
fidently hope. 

Peoria  Indians.  A  mission  was  estab- 
lished here  in  1833.  Something  was  done 
in  the  way  of  civilization.  A  church  was 
organized,  a  school  was  opened,  and  a 
leaven  of  Christian  influence  was  difl*used 
among  the  people.  The  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  likened  unto  a  little  leaven. 

Oregon  Indians.      A  mission  was  estab- 


138  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

lished   here   in    1836.     The  Flat  Heads,   a 
tribe    of    Indians     in    the     valley    of    the 
Columbia,  having  gotten  some  knowledge 
the  true  God  from  the  white  people,   serf 
men    over    the    mountains   to   Missouri,   to 
learn   more   about    the   white    man's    God. 
This  fact  had  a  tendency  to  awaken  interest 
in    behalf    of    these  .  Indians    among     the 
churches,  and  led  to  the  sending  of  mission- 
aries to  them.     The  Board  entered  this  field 
in    1836.     Their'  attention   was  directed   to 
the  Keyusus,  Nez-perces    and   Flat  Heads. 
The  missionaries  were  well  received  at  first. 
They    observed    a  special  eagerness  in  the 
natives   to   learn   the   arts  of  civilized  life. 
They  were  interested  to  gain  a  knowledge 
of  the  Christian  religion.     The  mission  for  a 
time  was  attended  with  success ;  but  it  had 
to   encounter   the  jealousies  of  the   Roman 
Catholics.     Dr.    Whitman    and    wife,  with 
twelve  other  persons,  were  murdered. 

We  shall  have  occasion  to  refer   to   this 
mission  again,  as  it  stands  connected  with 


DIFFICULT  PROBLEM  SOLVED.  139 

one  of  the  greatest  events  in  our  national 
history, —  as  illustrating  the  value  of  foreign 
missions  to  our  nation.  We  have  attempted 
only  a  glance  at  the  missionary  work  as  con- 
nected with  the  aborigines  of  our  country. 
This  work  has  been  a  blessing  to  the  Indians 
not  only,  but  to  the  nation  also.  It  is  an 
influence  that  cannot  be  definitely  measured ; 
it  cannot  be  estimated  in  dollars  and  cents. 
It  is  a  work  that  has  been  done  in  the  inter- 
ests of  Christianity  as  a  prihiary  motive,  but 
it  has  told  on  the  national  prosperity  none 
the  less.  It  has  helped  to  solve  one  of  the 
most  difficult  questions  that  has  ever  come 
before  the  American  people,  namely,  what 
shall  we  do  with  the  Indian?  How  shall 
we  manage  him  ?  How  shall  we  treat  him, 
and  make  him  one  of  us?  The  sword 
has  been  tried,  but  in  vain.  Negotia- 
tions have  been  attempted  in  the  form  of 
treaties,  but  these  have  proved  treacherous 
things  to  both  parties,  —  unjust  and  decep- 
tive to  the  Indians,  unprofitable  and  expen- 
sive to  ourselves. 


140  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

We  have  gone  among  them  with  the  treaty 
of  Christianity,  the  gospel  of  reconciliation. 
The    Sfood   tidinsrs    of  salvation   have   been 

o  a 

published  in  those  forests.  These  Indians 
have  been  thus  recognized  as  human  beings, 
needing  the  great  salvation  in  common  with 
ourselves.  We  have  given  them  schools, 
that  have  been  made  available  to  them,  as 
government  schools  have  not.  We  have 
tausrht  them  asrriculture  and  the  arts.  The 
work  has  been  carried  forward  upon  an 
extensive  scale.  Millions  of  dollars  proba- 
bly have  been  used  in  the  work.  Perhaps  a 
thousand  laborers  in  all  have  been  employed 
by  different  Mission  Boards.  Several  thou- 
sands have  been  hopefully  converted  to 
Christianity  as  a  consequence,  and  scores  of 
thousands  have  been  brought  under  the 
influence  of  Christian  civilization.  Has 
this  all  been  for  nothing  to  us  as  a  nation? 
The  value  of  this  work  has  need  to  be 
recognized  as  a  power-  in  the  land.  The 
w^ork  has  been  done  in  the  interests  of  the 


WHAT    WE   HAVE   DONE.  141 

nation  scarcely  less  than  in  those  of  religion. 
It  has  been  a  help  to  us  in  the  most  diffi- 
cult work  we  have  ever  had  to  do  as  a 
people, —  that  of  subordinating  and  civilizing 
those  wayward  savages,  and  in  fitting  them 
ultimately  for  Christian  citizenship.  The 
negro  problem  has  been  solved ;  it  was 
solved  by  the  sword.  The  Indian  problem 
is  yet  to  be  solved.  It  is  to  be  done  by  the 
Bible  and  its  influences, —  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit/  The  gospel  alone  leads  to  civili- 
zation. Says  one  of  the  greatest  men  of 
the  age  :  "  The  gospel  is  the  great  civilizer 
of  nations  ;  commerce  is  the  great  corrupter 
of  the  nations." 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE     OEEGON    MISSION  :     ITS   GRAND    RESULTS 
UPON    THE   NATION. 

Mr.  Eells'  Testimony  -—  That  of  Gov.  Evans 
AND  Major  Alvord  —  Connection  op  this  Mis- 
sion WITH  the  Colonization  of  the  far  West 
—  Dr.  Whitman's  Movements  —  Subsequent  Re- 
sults ON  THE  Nation. 


HAVE  glanced  at  the  results  of  the 
Oregon  missions,  and  its  tragical 
close,  in  a  previous  chapter.  But  the 
leaven  of  Christianity  was  cast  among  those 
men  of  the  forest,  and  was  not  to  be  lost. 
Twenty  years  afterward,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Eells,  once  a  missionary  among  those  In- 
dians, now  a  minister  and  teacher  in  Washing- 
ton Territory,  writes  :  "  There  were  some 
seventy  white  persons,  dependent  chiefly, 
if  not   entirely,  upon  the   station   for   their 


TESTIMONY   OF   REV.    MR.    EELLS.        143 

supplies,  at  the  time  of  the  terrible  massacre 
in  1847.  What  would  have  become  of  those 
white  men  at  that  time,  if  it  had  not  been 
for  that  missionary  station  among  the  In- 
dians ?  " 

He  says,  too :  "  The  more  important 
results  of  missionary  labor  have  at  length 
been  recognized.  Christian  white  men  have 
ingenuously  acknowledged  that  they  have 
been  reproved  by  the  deportment  of  these 
Indians.  And  those  who  had  been  pre- 
viously disinclined  to  favor  efforts  for  the 
moral  improvement  of  the  aborigines,  have 
frankly  conceded  the  salutary  effects  of  such 
efforts.  The  difference  between  those  who 
have  continuously  received  instruction  from 
Protestant  missionaries,  and  those  who  have 
not,  is  known  and  read  of  all  men." 

The  Indian  Agent  for  1861  says  :  "Those 
Indians  are  the  best  Indians  I  ever  knew.  I 
wish  the  missionaries  would  go  back  and 
resume  labor  among  them."  He  referred  to 
those  where  the  missionaries  had  once  la- 
bored, in  Oregon. 


144  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

Mr.  Eells  writes  :  "  Some  fifteen  or  twenty 
of  those  Indians  spent  some  time  in  Walla 
Walla.  A  larger  proportion  of  them  could 
be  collected  on  the  Sabbath  for  worship,  than 
of  the  citizens  of  the  place.  We  sang  in 
their  tons-ue  the  words  I  had  arrano^ed  for 
them  years  ago.  Their  conduct  seems  less 
objectionable  than  that  of  the  superior  race." 

Gov.  Evans,  of  Washington  Territory, 
says  :  "  The  teaching  of  those  early  mission- 
aries has  not  been  lost.  They  have  had 
their  effect  in  moulding  the  character  of  the 
subsequent  settlements,  and  have  had  much 
to  do  in  modifying  the  history  of  the  aborig- 
ines." I  quote  again  from  Mr.  Eells,  who 
says  :  "  We  are  indebted  to  the  early  mis- 
sions in  Oregon  and  Washington,  for  laying 
the  foundation  of  civilization  there.  In  this 
regard  an  honorable  record  will  pass  on  to 
future  generations." 

Major  Alvord,  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  says : 
"The  Nez-perces  declined  to  join  the  war 
against  the  whites,  in  184T,  and  have  con- 
stantly refused  to  do  so." 


OTHER    TESTIMONY.  145 

Another  has  said  of  them,  that  a  band 
of  some  hnndreds  assemble  every  morning 
and  evening  for  prayer,  and  on  the  Sabbath 
day  for  worship.  Others  have  confirmed 
this  statement.  So,  years  after  the  mission 
was  nominally  abandoned,  its  good  influence 
was  felt  among  that  remarkable  people. 

But  the  fact,  more  remarkable  than  any 
thing  recorded  in  connection  with  this 
mission,  is  that  it  became  the  hinge  on  which 
the  civilization  of  those  far  Western  States 
turned.  The  mission  to  the  Oregon  Indians 
was  the  occasion  of  this  great  event  in 
American  history.  It  was  the  providential 
cause  of  it.  So  the  men  best  qualified  to 
judge  in  the  case,  have  uniformly  declared. 
All  that  slope  of  our  continent  west  of  the 
mountains,  was  saved  to  the  American  Union 
by  means  of  American  missions,  directly  or 
indirectly.  All  that  portion  of  the  far 
West  that  is  drained  by  the  Columbia  Eiver, 
though  ours  by  right  both  of  discovery  and 
of  purchase,    was    occupied    by   fur    com- 

10 


146  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

panies,  holdiDg  British  charters ;  also  by 
various  Indian  tribes.  It  was  so  when  mis- 
sionaries went  to  that  distant  country. 

I  have  already  referred  to  the  fact  that  one 
of  these  tribes,  having  gotten  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  true  God  from  the  white  people, 
sent  men  over  the  mountains,  some  two  thou- 
sand miles,  to  Missouri,  to  learn  more  about 
the  white  man's  God.  This  led  to  the  send- 
ing of  missionaries  to  them.  Christians 
were  constrained  to  feel  that  if  these  red 
men  of  the  forest  had  such  a  desire  to  get  a 
knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  learn  the 
way  to  be  saved,  it  was  their  duty  to  send 
the  gospel  to  them. 

Dr.  Whitman,  a  missionary  physician  un- 
der the  American  Board,  was  a  man  of  great 
penetration  of  mind,  intrepidity  of  charac- 
ter, and  energy  of  purpose.  Obstacles 
seemed  only  to  inspire  his  courage.  The  ex- 
tent of  his  practice  as  a  physician  among  the 
fur-traders  and  trappers,  as  well  as  among 
the  Indians,  gave  him  a  large  acquaintance 


DR.     WHITMAN.  147 

with  affairs  connected  with  that  country. 
He  became  satisfied  that  these  foreiofn  Com- 
panics  were  endeavoring  to  get  possession  of 
that  territory.  They  invited  emigration  by 
those  only  who  were  favorable  to  British 
interests,  and  to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith. 
They  discouraged  emigration  by  those  un- 
friendly to  these  interests.  Dr.  Whitman 
clearly  foresaw  that  this  whole  country 
would  soon  be  in  possession  of  the  British 
government,  and  the  people  would  be  under 
the  power  of  Rome,  unless  prompt  measures 
were  taken.  Every  thing  pointed  to  this 
result.  He  formed  a  purpose  to  lead  an 
American  Colony  to  those  parts.  He  was 
unshaken  in  his  purpose.  He  laid  his  case 
before  the  mission.  They  hesitated,  —  but 
finally  gave  their  consent  that  he  visit  the 
East,  to  carry  out  his  purpose  to  colonize 
the  Columbia  valley. 

Dr.  Whitman  was  no  visionary;  he  was 
not  a  man  of  schemes  and  experiments.  He 
was  a  faithful  missionary,  and  did  the  work 


148  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

well  to  which  he  had  been  appointed.  But 
he  was  a  Christian  patriot  also,  and  loved 
his  nation.  He  could  not  bear  to  see  that 
beautiful  valley  of  the  far  West  —  which 
was  ours  by  every  right,  but  now  occupied 
by  these  fur-traders  only  by  our  sufferance 
and  magnanimity  —  thus  pass  forever  out 
of  our  hands  into  foreign  and  unfriendly 
control. 

"Our  right  to  the  Northwest  Coast,  in- 
cluding all  the  territory  drained  by  the 
»  Columbia  River,  was  based  in  law  upon  the 
purchase  of  all  French  claims  in  1803-4, 
and  of  all  Spanish  claims  in  1819,  besides 
the  clearer  title  of  discovery  by  Capt.  Gray, 
Ship  Columbia,  of  Boston ;  and  confirmed 
in  1792.  From  this  fact  the  Indians  there 
have  ever  since  called  all  Americans  *  Bos- 
tons.' 

"But  our  jDossession  and  settlement  of 
that  region  was  long  disputed,  and  made  a 
nullity  by  the  action  of  a  foreign  interfer- 
ence.    The  great  Northwest  Fur  Company, 


OUR    CLAIMS  WEST.  149 

having  its  headquarters  at  Montreal,  and  its 
forts  along  the   lakes,   through  the   interior 
and  over  the  mountains,  at  the  beginning  of 
this  century,  found  a  rival  in  the  honorable 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  whose  forts  ranged 
across  the  continent.     The  latter  soon  dis- 
placed the  former,  and  enlisted  their  factors, 
chief  traders,   and  employees  in  its  service. 
Mr.  Astor's  fur-trading  posts  were  broken 
up  by  this  new  aspiring  and  energetic  Com- 
pany,   and  his    far-famed    Astoria    was   at 
length  occupied  by  them,  receiving  the  new 
name  of  'Fort  George.'     The  Hudson  Bay 
Company  held  sway  over  Indians  and  trap- 
pers  and  hunters,  and  by  means   of  their 
palisade  forts  and  rude  bastions,  maintained 
their  authority,  and  gave  law  practically  to 
all   comers   and   goers.     As    early  as    1828 
they  took   possession   of   the   Falls    of   the 
Willamette,   with   a  view,    as    Sir    George 
Simpson,  their  Governor-General,   says,  to 
the  establishment  of  a  British  colony  of  their 
retired  servants  in  the  valley  above."  ^ 
1  President  Atkinson,  Oregon  College. 


150  THESE   FOB    THOSE. 

Several  colonies  of  this  kind  were  planted 
at  other  available  points.  They  had  practi- 
cal possession  of  the  whole  country  in 
1832. 

Dr.  Whitman  lost  no  time  in  getting 
ready  for  the  journey.  He  crossed  the 
Rocky  Mountains  in  midwinter,  and  ar- 
rived in  Missouri,  faint  and  frost-bitten, 
where  he  soon  found  sufficient  numbers  to 
go  to  that  country,  if  they  could  but  get 
there  in  wagons  and  with  their  families. 
He  hastened  on  to  Washington,  saw  Mr. 
Webster,  Secretary  of  State,  and  made 
known  to  him  his  purpose,  to  lead  a  colony 
over  the  mountains,  and  get  practical  posses- 
sion of  Oregon.  Mr.  Webster  informed 
him  that  he  was  a  little  too  late  in  the  under- 
taking; that  negotiations  were  already  in 
process  to  exchange  that  country  for  fishing- 
grounds,  owned  by  England,  on  our  coast ; 
that  he  had  been  assured  by  those  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  facts,  that  the  country 
west  was  of   no   value  to  us,  as  emigrants 


WHITMAN'S  EFFORTS.  151 

could  not  cross  the  mountains  with  their 
wagons  and  families.  But  such  information 
all  came  from  unfriendly  sources.  This  was 
a  part  of  the  plot  to  get  possession  of  that 
territory  in  the  interests  of  Great  Britain 
and  Rome. 

These  wrong  negotiations  at  Washington 
were  brousrht  to  a  stand.  Dr.  Whitman 
told  Mr.  Webster  that  he  was  going  to 
lead  a  colony  to  that  country  in  the  spring 
himself,  and  that  they  would  cross  the 
mountains  and  deserts  in  wagons  !  Presi- 
dent* Tyler  and  his  Secretary  assured  Dr. 
Whitman  that  if  he  would  do  this,  they 
would  not  sell  the  territory,  —  or  would  stop 
negotiations  till  the  experiment  was  tried. 
The  grand  experiment  ivas  made.  Dr. 
Whitman  led  his  Colony  of  a  thousand  souls 
to  the  valley  of  the  Columbia  that  season, 
in  safety  and  in  wagons. 

Dr.  AYhitman  regarded  his  visit  to 
Washington,  and  his  success  in  conducting 
the  emigrants  across  the  mountains, —  a  dis- 


152  THESE   EOn    THOSE. 

tance  of  two  thousand  miles, — as  settling 
the  destiny  of  Oregon.  He  says  in  a  letter  : 
"It  may  be  easily  seen  what  would  have  be- 
come of  American  interests  in  this  country, 
had  this  emiOTation  been  disastrous." 

A  word  now,  per  contra,  from  the  "  Co- 
lonial Magazine,''  in  the  foreign  interests : 
"By  a  strange  and  unpardonable  oversight 
of  the  local  officers,  missionaries  from  the 
United  States  were  allowed  to  take  religious 
charge  of  the  population,  and  these  artful 
men  lost  no  time  in  introducing  such  a 
number  of  their  countrymen,  as  reduced 
the  influence  of  the  British  settlers  to  com- 
plete insignificance.'* 

"It  was  not  simply  an  American  ques- 
tion," says  Secretary  Treat;  "it  was,  at  the 
same  time,  a  Protestant  question  that 
agitated  the  mind  of  Dr.  Whitman.  He  was 
fully  alive  to  the  efforts  which  the  Roman 
Catholics  were  making  to  gain  the  mastery 
on  the  Pacific  coast ;   and  he  was  firmly  per- 


FOREIGN    VIEWS.  '       153 

suaded  that  they  were  working  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  with  a 
view  to  this  very  end.  The  danger  from 
this  quarter  made  a  profound  impression 
upon  his  mind." 

A  provisional  government  was  soon 
formed.  Our  country's  flag  waved  in  those 
west  winds,  and  British  power  there  perished. 
American  interests  were  thenceforth  in  the 
ascendant.  G.  Abernethy,  Esq.,  was  elected 
Governor  for  four  successive  years,  1844-48. 

The  government  at  Washington  had  now  a 
new  interest  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  sent 
out  explorers  under  Fremont.  The  worth 
and  wealth  of  this  great  slope  began  to  be 
known  to  the  world.  As  a  consequence  of 
our  occupancy  of  Oregon,  our  interest  in  all 
that  portion  of  the  American  Continent  west 
was  increased.  A  desire  was  awakened  to  get 
possession  of  California.  And  in  our  set- 
tlement with  Mexico  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
the  government  purchased  this  conquered 
province  of  California,  which  put  the  entire 


154       "  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

width  of  the  continent  west  into  our  posses- 
sion. This  would  not  have  been  done  if 
Dr.  Whitman  had  failed !  Says  Dr.  Atkin- 
son :  "Having  then  become  involved  in  the 
Mexican  war,  Gen.  Fremont  was  sent  out 
in  1847,  with  the  plan  to  co-operate  with  our 
Commodore  and  seize  California,  which  was 
done.  In  the  settlement  with  Mexico,  our 
Government  purchased  this  province.  The 
connection  of  events  is  such  as  to  show  that 
our  securing  the  actual  possession  of  Oregon 
awakened  public  interest,  and  led  to  the  gen- 
eral survey  and  final  conquest  and  purchase 
of  California,  —  though  sectional  and  spo- 
radic efibrts  had  previously  been  made  to 
secure  this  Province.  The  securing  of 
Oregon  preceded  that  of  California,  some- 
what as  cause  precedes  effect.  The  one 
hinged  upon  the  other." 

Eev.  Mr.  Eells  expresses  substantially  the 
same  opinion. 

And  what  has  come  of  all  this?  The 
richest  section  of  our  country,  the  gateway 


THE  GRAND  RESULT.  155 

of  the  world  westward,  of  oceans  and  con- 
tinents, of  wealth  and  commerce,  has  been 
opened  to  us  and  possessed  by  the  nation. 
Consequently  our  country  is  to  become  the 
carrying-place  or  thoroughfare  of  the  world, 
by  means  of  steamships  and  railways.  We 
now  stand  midway  between  continents  and 
seas,  where  all  ships  move,  great  wealths  are 
garnered,  and  various  civilizations  and  bar- 
barisms are  contrasted. 

And  in  a  money  point  of  view,  says  Presi- 
dent Atkinson ;  "  The  nation  has  been  saved 
by  the  gold  from  the  miners  as  truly  as  by 
the  courage  of  the  soldiers.  He  who  pro- 
vided the  one,  raised  up  the  other.  We  see 
the  wisdom  of  the  Divine  plan  for  our 
national  salvation.  So  it  is  ;  this  western 
world,  saved  to  us  by  the  influence  of  mis- 
sions, is  become  the  store-house  of  our 
national  wealth,  to  a  very  large  extent.  We 
fall  back  on  those  rich  mines  or  banks  of 
wealth,  to  help  j)ay  our  nation's  debt,  and  to 
give  us  the  lead  of  commerce.     We  turn  to 


156  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

those  golden  mountains  to  assure  our  credit, 
for  there  is  enousfh  there  to  redeem  all  our 
bonds  and   notes." 

I  do  not  say  that  God  would  not  have 
used  other  means  to  reach  these  grand 
results.  That  is  not  the  point  in  question. 
What  means  has  he  used  in  the  crisis  ?  This 
is  the  question  for  the  historian.  It  was  a 
humble  instrumentality,  a  poor  society  or 
Board  of  Missions,  that  had  no  great  name 
in  the  world  then ;  but  God  chooses  the 
foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the 
wise,  and  things  that  are  not  to  bring  to 
nou2:ht  the  thinsrs  that  are. 

Pros.  Tyler  told  Dr.  ^Yhitman  that  he 
would  believe  him  since  he  was  a  missionary, 
instead  of  the  fur-traders  and. British  officials 
that  were  crowding  around  his  capitol.  Did 
that  President  ever  do  a  better  thing  for  the 
country  than  thus  to  encourage  Dr.  Whit- 
man to  proceed  with  his  colony,  and  make 
the  valley  of  the  Columbia  both  Christian 
and  AiYberican?     We  are  blind  if  we  do  not 


GOD'S  PROVIDENCE.  157 

see  the  thread  of  Divine  Providence  here. 
It  is  of  golden  texture,  running  along  the 
pathway  of  those  whose  feet  were  beautiful 
upon  the  mountains,  for  they  were  the  feet 
of  them  that  brought  good  tidings  of  great 
joy  to  the  men  that  dwelt  in  those  distant 
wastes  of  sin. 

"  Men  did  not  see  whither  the  hand  of  God 
was  leading  us,  till  in  the  southern  sky  the 
storm-clouds  condensed  into  blacker  shades, 
and  burst  upon  our  nation  in  the  thunder  of 
civil  war.  Then  we  began  to  see  that  fleets 
and  armaments,  munitions  and  fortresses, 
with  the  cost  of  armies, — must  be  met  by 
untold  drafts  upon  the  nation's  exchequer. 
We  learned  that  the  nation's  credit  must 
be  used  on  the  broadest  scale,  and  we  kwew 
that   it    must    be   sustained    at    home    and 

abroad God     seemed    to    say    to 

Americans,  I  have  saved  this  great  treasure 
for  you.  I  have  held  it  from  the  eyes  of 
men  for  you  to    possess."  i 

^  Pres.  Atkinson. 


158  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

Wg  thus  perceive  in  part  the  debt  we 
owe  to  missions  as  a  nation,  as  well  as  a 
race.  Other  things  might  be  added  to  the 
inventory  of  our  indebtedness  to  foreign 
missions.  But  I  prefer  to  confine  the  dis- 
cussion under  this  head  to  the  matters  thus 
briefly  set  forth.  Indeed,  take  away  what 
missions  have  done  for  the  nation  in  the  fai: 
West,  and  we  should  be  poor,  comparatively. 
We  should  be  flanked  without  doubt  by  a 
foreign  power  and  a  foreign  religion  in  all 
the  width  of  our  continent  west. 

What  else  has  done  these  States  a  gi-eater 
service,  if  we  except  the  gospel  directly 
preached?  Is  it  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence ?  Could  we  have  carried  out  that 
declaration  in  our  times,  without  the  help 
which  has  come  to  us  from  that  rich  coast? 
Is  it  the  late  war?  Could  we  have  car- 
ried on  the  war  but  for  that  gold?  Is  it 
the  emancipation  act  which  the  war  put 
through  ?  But  could  we  have  put  any  thing 
throuo^h  on  that  line,  without  the  world  of 


SUMMARY.  159 

wealth  opened  to  us  by  that  pioneer  band, 
taken  by  our  brave  missionary  over  those 
fearful  mountains,  to  colonize  and  control 
that  vast  country? 


TOPIC    III. 

OUR    INDEBTEDNESS    TO    MISSIONS, 
AS  A  GOVERNMENT. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

MISSIONARY   HELP     TO   OUR   FOREIGN     AMBAS- 
SADORS. 

Preloiinary  Distinctions  —  The  Help  Missionaries 

HAVE  rendered  INChINA--In  TURKEY  —  AT  THE 

Hawaiian  Islands. 

T  >t^  HAVE  considered  the  influence  of 
missions  upon  the  affairs  of  our  na- 
tion, and  principally  with  respect  to 
the  management  of  the  Indian  tribes.  I 
shall  now  speak  of  their  usefulness  to  the 
Government  as  such. 

We  distinguish  between  a  nation  and  its 
government.  The  one  is  generic,  the  other 
specific.  There  may  be  revolution  in  the 
government,  while  the  integrity  and  general 
characteristics  of  the     nation    continue   the 


164  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

same.  A  poor  nation  ma}^  have  a  good  gov- 
ernment, and  a  good  nation  may,  for  a  time, 
have  a  bad  government ;  yet  there  is  an  inti- 
mate relation  between  a  nation  and  its  form 
of  government.  The  one  will  influence  the 
other  for  good  or  evil.  Whatever  helps  the 
nation  as  such,  tends  to  strengthen  the  gov- 
ernment; and  whatever  strengthens  the 
government,  will  have  a  healthful  influence 
ultimately  upon  the  nation  and  its  institu- 
tions. 

Much  that  was  said  of  the  eflfect  of  for- 
eign missions,  under  the  previous  Topic, 
upon  the  nation,  is  pertinent  to  the  pr.esent 
Topic  also.  The  help  our  country  has 
received  from  missions  in  the  management 
of  the  Indian  departmenf,  has  been  also  a 
help  to  the  government  in  that  most  difficult 
business.  Any  influence  that  tends  to  civil- 
ize the  aborigines  of  the  country,  and  pre- 
pare them  for  citizenship,  is  a  help  in  the 
administration  of  the  general  government. 

In   considering  the  influence  of  missions 


AID    TO    GOVERNMENT.  165 

upon  the  government,  in  its  action  abroad  in 
foreign  countries,  we  must  take  into  view  the 
inconvenience  of  carrying  on  business  inter- 
course with  nations,  without  any  knowledge 
of  their  language  or  government,  —  of  the 
character,  traditions  and  prejudices  of  the 
people.  It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  obsta- 
cles in  the  way  of  diplomatic  intercourse 
under  such  circumstances. 

Our  government  has  commercial  relations 
with  the  empire  of  China.  These  began  some 
thirty  years  ago,  have  now  grown  into  a  diplo- 
matic ministry,  and  are  regarded  as  of  great 
value  to  the  government,  in  a  variety  of 
aspects.  These  relations  grew  out  of  the 
foreign  missionary  work  there,  or  the  intro- 
duction of  Christianity  and  the  western  civil- 
ization into  the  empire.  The  advantages  of 
our  commercial  intercourse  with  that  people, 
and  of  our  civi]  connection  with  them,  are  to 
be  put  to  the  credit  of  foreign  missions.  How 
could  this  government  have  conducted  its  bus- 
iness at  tbat  court,  without  the  presence  of 


166  THESE   FOE    THOSE. 

missionaries  upon  the  ground?  When  Mr. 
Gushini?  was  sent  out  to  China  in  the  frigate 
Brandy  wine,  to  negotiate  our  first  treaty  with 
that  government,  the  then  Secretary  of  State, 
I  have  been  assured,  addressed  a  letter  to 
our  Prudential  Committee,  asking  permission 
to  employ  any  of  our  missionaries  residing 
in  that  country,  to  aid  the  Commissioner  in 
negotiating  a  treaty  with  the  government. 
Permission  was  granted ;  and  without  such 
aid  at  that  period,  I  have  been  informed  by 
an  ex-government  officer,  "probably  no  satis- 
factory treaty  could  have  been  made.  For 
we  had  no  other  resources  of  which  we  could 
avail  ourselves,  such  as  familiarity  with  the 
Chinese  customs,  literature,  modes  of  thought, 
etc." 

Mr.  Cushing,  the  first  Commissioner  to 
that  Court,  is  a  finished  scholar,  and  a  most 
able  diplomatic  officer.  But  how  could  he 
have  accomplished  his  business  at  that  court, 
if  it  had  not  been  for  the  aid  of  the  mission- 
aries there?    He  was   isrnorant  of  the  Ian- 


MR     GUSHING.  167 

giiage, —  one  of  the  most  difficult  on  earth  to 
master.  He  was  ignorant,  in  large  measure, 
of  the  government,  and  the  semi-civilization 
that  rules  there, —  of  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms and  ideas  of  the  people,  where  almost 
every  thing  is  in  strange,  and  the  reverse  of 
things  on  this  side  of  the  globe.  The  very 
hexids  of  the  people  are  really  not  more 
directly  opposite  to  ours,  as  they  walk  over 
the  earth,  than  is  almost  every  thing  else 
there.  So  Mr.  Gushing  wisely  took  one  of 
our  missionary  physicians  to  his  aid  as  Sec- 
retary of  Legation,  —  Hon.  Peter  Parker, 
now  of  Washington  City,  D.  C. 

Mr.  Parker  was  not  a  diplomatist  at  that 
time ;  he  was  only  a  humble  and  successful 
missionary  laborer.  But  he  ]iad  capabilities 
in  other  directions,  of  which  Mr.  Gushing 
was  ready  to  avail  himself.  Mr.  Parker  had 
gotten  the  language, —  a  work  of  years.  He 
had  earned  the  confidence  of  the  people  by 
his  Ghristian  deportment  and  charity.  He 
had  large  skill  in  the  healing  art.     He  was 


168  THESE    FOR    THOSE. 

known  at  the  Court ;  had  learned  the  char- 
acter of  the  Chinese  government  and  institu- 
tions, together  with  the  striking  peculiarities 
of  the  Chinese  mind.  He  was  acquainted, 
too,  with  the  American  government  and 
institutions.  He  was,  therefore,  the  right 
man  for  our  Commissioner  to  associate 
with  himself  in  his  work.  He  had  need  of 
such  a  helper.  He  could  not  have  gone  on 
in  his  work  without  some  such  one  to  be 
eyes  and  ears  and  tongue  for  him  in  his 
official  duties.  Nor  is  this  all; — he  needed 
the  counsel  of  those  early  missionaries, 
their  collected  wisdom  and  experience,  to  aid 
him  in  his  ministerial  business. 

Diplomatic  relations  have  continued  with 
China  since.  They  have  grown  into  a 
permanent  Civil  Ministry.  Mr.  Parker  was 
afterwards  himself  appointed  Commissioner 
at  that  Court.  The  government  thought  it 
best  to  avail  itself  of  the  experience  and 
tried  skill  of  one  of  the  missionaries  of  the 
American  Board.     I  cannot  speak   particu- 


BURLING AME'S  SECRETARY  OF  LEGATION.  169 

larly  of  the  usefulness  of  Mr.  Parker's 
administration  in  China.  I  certainly  never 
heard  it  called  in  question.  Assuming  the 
affirmative,  it  goes  to  show  the  good  service 
of  foreign  missions  to  our  government  in 
China. 

The  Secretary  of  Legation  under  the  late 
Commissioner  Burlingame  was  an  American 
missionary.  He  was  qualified  for  the  posi- 
tion. And  Mr.  Burlingame  was  probably 
intrusted  with  his  comprehensive  and  respon- 
sible mission  to  the  civilized  nations  by 
reason  of  an  indirect  influence  of  American 
missionaries  in  China.  The  government  had 
learned  to  trust  Americans,  by  having  so 
good  a  specimen  or  representation  of  them 
in  that  field.  I  do  not  know  indeed  that 
any  direct  personal  influence  was  used  on 
their  part  with  the  Court  to  secure  the  ap- 
pointment of  Mr.  Burlingame.  I  trust  there 
was  none.  I  only  say,  it  is  a  pleasant  and 
probable  conjecture  that  the  influence  the 
missionaries  had  gained  in   China,    even   if 


170  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

none  was  exerted  on  the  Court  directly, 
led  to  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Burlingame ; 
whose  official  efforts  had  proved  so  satisfac- 
tory and  honorable  to  our  government  and 
the  other  civilized  governments. 

Dr.  Morrison,  an  early  English  missionary 
to  China,  was  taken  into  the  suite  of  Lord 
Amherst,  and  was  Chinese  interpreter  to 
the  British  Commission  at  Canton.  In  this 
office  he  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Gutzlaff. 
These  missionaries  were  deemed  essential 
to  the  success  of  the  Commission.  They 
understood  the  language,  modes  of  thought, 
and  the  customs  of  the  people,  and  had 
gained  an  influence  in  the  empire. 

Morrison's  English  and  Chinese  Diction- 
ary, giving  a  key  to  that  mysterious  lan- 
guage, has  been  a  great  help  to  governments 
as  well  as  to  scholars.  It  has  had  the  hisrhest 
praise  of  oriental  critics,  such  as  Klaproth, 
Montucci,  Huttmann,  Remusat,  and  others. 
The  work  has  been  superseded  by  others 
since,  as  the   progress  of  missionary  study 


COMMERCIAL   BELATIOXS.  171 

in  that  empire  has  furnished  more  accurate 
and  abundant  materials  for  such  a  work. 
But  its  value  in  the  literary  and  commercial 
world,  it  is  not  easy  to  estimate. 

In  vain  were  all  the  attempts  of  the 
colonial  government  in  Africa  to  establish 
commercial  intercom-se  with  the  Kaffir  tribes 
until  the  Christian  missionary  had  gained  a 
footing  among  them. 

Howitt  remarks  that  the  British  Govern- 
ment owes  whatever  success  it  has  had  in 
New  Zealand  in  diplomatic  and  commercial 
relations  entirely  to  the  favorable  predis- 
position created  in  their  behalf  by  missionary 
influence. 

Wherever  commerce  and  government 
have  taken  the  initiative  in  the  way  of  gain- 
ing access  to  barbarous  nations,  the  effoi-t 
has  usually  failed.  Policy,  strategy  or 
violence  has  too  often  been  the  recourse 
or  iustrumenit  employed.  But  when  the 
ground  has  been  anticipated  by  Protestant 
missionaries,    and    the     confidence    of    the 


172  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

people  gained  by  kind  Christian  treatment, 
the  movements  of  government  in  the  inter- 
ests of  commerce  and  civil  intercourse  have 
usually  been  successful. 

All  must  admit  that  in  the  changed  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case,  our  present  local 
position  to  China,  Japan,  and  the  east  gen- 
erally (or  west,  we  can  now  say),  have 
rendered  our  commercial  and  diplomatic 
relations  to  that  part  of  the  world  of  the 
greatest  importance  to  the  nation  and  the 
government. 

I  pass  by  India,  with  which,  in  a  civil  and 
commercial  point  of  view,  we  have  had  less 
to  do  than  with  the  more  distant  empires ;  I 
shall  not  speak  particularly  of  Africa  now,  in 
these  respects,  further  than  to  say,  that  our 
late  Consul  at  Zanzibar,  Hon.  R.  P.  Waters, 
of  Beverly,  Mass.,  assures  me  that  "the  aid 
from  this  source  has  been  most  important." 

I  reserve  some  facts  from  Africa  for 
the  next  Topic,  where  they  will  do  better 
service  to  the  subject  than  under  this. 


JUDGE    GODDARD'S    VIEWS.  173 

I  call  attention  now  to  our  civil  intercourse 
with  the  Empire  of  Turkey,  as  affected  by 
foreign  missions. 

Hon.  C.  W.  Goddarcl,  Judge  of  the  Supe- 
rior Court,  Portland,  Maine,  and  late  Consul 
General  at  Constantinople,  says:  "Your 
missionaries  in  Turkey  have  added  to  the 
respect  with  which  our  nation  is  regarded  in 
that  country; — for  every  American  abroad, 
especially  every  American  permanently  re- 
siding abroad,  contributes  his  quota  towards 
the  opinion  entertained  of  our  people  by  the 
government  and  people  among  whom  they 
reside. 

"As  an  officer  of  the  U.  S.  Government 
during  the  critical  period  of  the  Rebellion 
(1861-5),  I  was  often  ashamed  of  my 
countrymen  abroad,  because  some  of  them, 
and  public  officers  too,  took  no  pains  to  con- 
ceal that  they  were  themselves  ashamed  of 
their  country,  and  would  evidently  have  been 
only  too  willing  to  den?/  their  country,  and 
pass  for  European  monarchists,  if  they  had 


174  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

not  feared  that,  like  Peter,  their  speech  would 
bewray  them.  I  am  happy  to  bear  testimony 
that  such  were  not  our  missionaries !  As 
Saint  Paul  boasted  that  he  was  a  ^  Pharisee  of 
the  Pharisees,'  so  they  were  all  Americans  of 
Americans.  By  this,  also,  they  materially 
strengthened  our  Government  at  a  very  weak 
point." 

He  adds  :  "If  there  had  never  been  mis- 
sionaries in  Turkey,  it  would  not  have  been 
so  easy  for  our  Government  to  manage  its 
afiairs  in  that  Empire,  as  it  now  is." 

I  call  attention  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 
Their  civilization  and  government  are  the 
outgrowth  of  American  missions.  The  prac- 
tical management  of  both  has  been  very 
much  in  the  hands  of  missionaries  from  the 
first.  The  structure  of  the  government  is 
substantially  American;  the  feudal  or  aris- 
tocratic element  —  abounding  in  European 
monarchies  —  scarcely  appearing  here  at  all. 

We  have  not  always  been  fortunate  in  the 
character  of  the  Commissioners  sent  to  the 


DR.  KING.  175 

Hawaiian  Islands  by  the  government,  lu 
one  or  two  instances  their  character  and 
influence  could  scarcely  have  been  worse. 
But  the  safety  of  our  government  and  of  its 
interests  there,  has  been  very  much  owing 
to  the  sharp  watch  and  determined  energy 
of  the  missionaries  on  the  ground.  Thus 
those  bad  men  had  a  short  career,  and  the 
honor  and  commercial  interests  of  our  na- 
tion have  been  protected. 

Honest  civilians  that  go  there  from  our 
government  depend  largely  upon  the  knowl- 
edge and  influence  of  the  missionaries.  It 
is  with  them  as  it  is  with  our  civil  offi- 
cers at  the  Court  of  the  Sultan,  and  at  the 
Court  of  China ;  they  have  need  of  the  wis- 
dom and  experience  of  the  veteran  mission- 
aries on  the  spot. 

Dr.  Jonas  King,  more  than  forty  years  a 
missionary  in  Greece,  added  to  his  useful- 
ness as  the  representative  of  our  Christianity 
there,  by  representing  the  American  Gov- 
ernment, also,  as  its  Consul  at  Athens. 


176  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

The  value  of  our  relations  in  the  Pacific, 
as  of  those  beyond  upon  t]ie  continent,  is 
greatly  increased  by  the  diminished  distance 
between  us  and  them  now,  and  by  the 
chansred  course  of  commerce  and  trade 
between  the  two  continents. 

If  Christ's  kingdom  has  gone  in  advance 
of  these  movements,  and  been  the  cause  of 
them;  if  his  ministers  have  helped  those 
of  the  civil  government  in  bringing  about 
the  present  condition  of  things  among,  the 
nations,  let  us  have  the  honesty  to  record  it ; 
not  indeed  for  the  sake  of  giving  glory  to 
man,  or  to  princes,  but  to  God ! 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

INFLUENCE       OF      MISSIONS     ON     REPUBLICAN 
INSTITUTIONS. 

The  Gospel  true  to  itself  evertwhere  —  The 
Eeciprocity  of  Influence  universal  —  The 
Civil  Revolution  in  Turkey  —  The  Hazelwood 
Eepublic  —  The  Islands  of  the  Pacific  —  These 
Eesults  have  come  of  Missions  —  Their  Help  in 
the  late  War  —  An  Illustration  in  Ceylon  — 
Their  Influence  on  our  Credit  abroad. 


HE  influence  of  foreign  missions  has 
been  favorable  to  republican  institu- 
tions everywhere.  And  though  a  re- 
publican form  of  government  may  not  have 
followed  in  the  j)athway  of  missions  directly, 
yet  the  spirit  and  genius  of  republicanism,  as 
diffused  over  the  world  through  them,  have 

12 


178  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 


a  strengthening  influence  upon  our  free 
institutions  at  home.  Foreign  missions  tend 
to  reproduce  our  home  institutions  of  free- 
dom and  equality  wherever  they  have  been 
planted.  Free  institutions  are  sure  to 
follow,  soon  or  late,  in  the  pathway  af  a 
pure  gospel.  Just  government  is  an  out- 
growth of  Protestant  Christianity.  The 
civilizations  that  spring  from  Protestant 
missions  take  their  type  from  the  gosppl, 
which  often  has  a  more  positive  influence  in 
shaping  the  institutions  that  follow  as  a 
consequence  of  missionary  effort,  than 
those  in  nominally  Christian  lands.  A 
purer  type  of  civil  and  social  institutions 
always  follows  from  the  spirit  of  missions, 
where  a  genuine  gospel  has  been  introduced, 
than  is  found  often  in  older  Christian  com- 
munities. The  gospel  planted  on  missionary 
ground  is  of  a  better  type  and  growth  ordi- 
narily, than  is  found  in  other  communities. 
It  has  not  yet  been  neutralized  by  formality — 
conformity  to  the  world.     It  has  not   been 


PROTESTANT  INFLUENCES.  179 

stiffened  by  long  contact  with  coldness, 
custom  and  conventional  rules.  It  has 
not  been  corrupted  by  the  hypocrisy, 
perhaps  gross  immorality,  of  its  professed 
friends.  We  naturally  expect  that  causes 
and  effects  will  correspond;  that  a  pure 
gospel  will  lead  to  simplicity  of  life,  and 
affect  the  institutions  of  society  and  the 
nation. 

The  gospel  carries  with  it  the  elements  of 
social  and  civil  redemption,  as  Avell  as  of 
personal  and  spiritual  redemption.  Wher- 
ever we  plant  Christian  missions,  whether 
in  Athens  or  in  India,  China  or  Africa,  we 
plant  the  germs  of  republican  institutions. 
Salvation  secured,  civil  freedom"  naturally 
follows.  The  spirit  of  it  is  found,  though 
the  exercise  and  enjoyment  of  it  may  be 
hindered.     The  spirit  precedes  the  form. 

The  influence  mutually  exerted  by  similar 
institutions  is  inevitable.  It  is  something  for 
a  nation  to  have  the  sympathy  of  mankind. 
It   strengthens   a  government   to   have   the 


180  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

public  sentiment  of  the  world  in  its  favor, 
although  that  public  sentiment  have  no  direct 
channel  of  expression.  The  spirit  of  liberty 
that  is  springing  up  in  China,  and  still  more 
positively  and  extensively  in  Ifidia,  Turkey, 
and  the  Islands  of  the  Sea,  is  not  lost  upon 
our  own  government.  It  is  a  sort  of  rec- 
ognition of  its  excellence.  It  is  in  the  form 
of  a  public  or  national  indorsement.  It  is  a 
half-suppressed  sympathy  or  sentiment  in  our 
behalf.  It  is  an  invisible  hand  of  fellowship, 
reached  out  to  us  across  the  world. 

A  thing  seldom  stands  of  itself  and  by  its 
own  strength.  It  has  need  to  be  supported 
by  other  things.  This  is  a  well-nigh  univer- 
sal law.  The  sun  could  not  stand  steadily 
in  his  orbit  if  it  were  not  associated  with 
other  suns,  or  the  circling  orbits  of  the  stars. 
Our  earth,  too,  in  its  course  about  the  sun, 
has  need  to  join  hands  with  the  planets  or 
other  earths,  held  in  their  order,  in  turn-,  by 
surrounding  secondaries.  These  all  hold 
their  place  and  their  permanency  by  mutual 


PRINCIPLES   STATED.  181 

attraction  in  the  great  system  of  things. 
There  is  a  law  of  interdependence  running- 
through  the  great  system  of  the  universe. 
It  is  so  with  the  forces  of  nature ;  it  is  so 
with  the  institutions  of  society.  Our  civil 
order  has  need  thus  to  be  strengthened. 
Our  institutions  are  by  no  means  indepen- 
dent of  the  influences  and  sympathy  that 
come  to  us  from  other  lands,  and  from  the 
ends  of  the  earth. 

A  reflex  influence  for  good  has  come  to  us 
from  the  remarkable  change  of  things  in 
Turkey.  Americans  have  accomplished  a 
far  greater  work  for  Turkey  than  will  ever 
be  acknowled2:ed  or  known.  The  introduc- 
tion  into  that  Empire  of  the  Protestant 
element  or  principle  provoked  persecution. 
Persecution  compelled  the  representatives  of 
the  free  governments  on  the  ground,  as  also 
the  Turkish  government  itself,  to  take  up 
the  question,  and  to  come  to  some  under- 
standing about  it.  The  ball  of  religious  dis- 
cussion was  thus  providentially  set  forward 


182  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

to  a  resistless  rolling.  The  missionaries 
boldly  put  in  the  plea  for  freedom  of  con- 
science as  an  inalienable  risrht  established 
by  God  himself,  and  written  by  him  upon  the 
human  soul.  It  was  maintained  by  irresis- 
tible reasoning,  that  such  freedom  is  necessi- 
tated by  the  very  nature  of  human  society 
and  of  the  soul  itself. 

The  more  the  question  was  examined,  and 
the  fiercer  the  persecution  raged,  so  much 
the  more  evident  it  became  that  for  Turkey 
at  least,  with  its  many  races,  languages  and 
religions,  liberty  is  the  only  solution  possible. 
The  decisions  of  the  Koran  had  to  bend 
before  this  necessity.  "The  sword  of  Islam 
must  remain  sheathed  even  when  the  apos- 
tate Moslem  passes  over  from  the  mosque 
to  the  chm-ch."  A  mighty  revolution  had 
thus  been  initiated  in  Tuikey,  which 
is  still  marching  on ;  and  it  is  easier 
to  stay  the  sun  in  his  course  in  heaven, 
than  to  arrest  it.  The  imperial  signa- 
ture   has    been    given   to   a   Magna   Charta 


REACTION  m   TURKEY.  183 

of  religious  liberty  in  those  two  state  doc- 
uments,—  tlie  Hatti  Sheriff  and  the  Hatti 
Humayon,  the  one  guaranteeing  to  the 
Christian  the  rights  of  conscience,  the  oth- 
er, to  the  Turk  the  same  rights,  as  touch- 
ing religious  liberty.  The  faith  of  those 
concessions  is  now  guarded  by  the  Christian 
governments  of  the  world.  The  Sultan  can 
•not  recall  his  act,  nor  retrace  the  step  he 
has  taken.  Henceforth  liberty  of  conscience 
is  secured  to  scores  of  millions  in  the 
Turkish  Empire, —  embodying  a  larger  num- 
ber of  distinct  nationalities,  speaking  as 
many  different  languages,  than  any  other 
Empire  on  the  globe. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  this  change 
in  favor  of  civil  liberty  the  world  over, 
came  about  in  consequence  of  the  presence 
and  influence  of  American  missionaries  in 
that  empire.  Their  work  brought  on  the 
crisis  and  the  persecution ;  the  high  position 
and  noble  stand  they  took  in  the  presence 
of  Ambassadors  from  Christian  governments 


184  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

secured  the  grand  result,  —  liberty  of  con- 
science to  the  people  of  that  empire. 

And  is  this  nothing  to  free  institutions 
elsewhere?  The  influence  of  those  leaps 
toward  liberty  of  conscience  and  personal 
freedom,  is  felt  throughout  the  civilized 
world !  It  adds  to  the  strength  and  mo- 
mentum of  free  principles.  It  is  a  recog- 
nition of  the  truth  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  upon  which  our  own  good  gov- 
ernment is  based,  which  is  indeed  the  only 
government  individually  concerned  in  those 
vast  transactions,  that  stands  squarely  and 
consistently  upon  those  principles.  This, 
then,  is  a  strengthening  of  our  own  free 
institutions.  It  is  like  the  art  that  elevates 
noiselessly,  without  the  notice  or  conscious- 
ness of  those  moved. 

I  name  this  fact,  not  yet  well  enough 
known,  as  a  confirmation  of  the  principle 
already  stated,  that  the  spirit  of  free  institu- 
tions as  diffused  over  the  earth,  has  a  useful 
influence  upon  our  institutions  here  at  home. 


RECIPROCAL   I^FLUEjVCE.  185 

Freedom  of  thought  and  action  in  Turkey, 
recognized  and  established  as  a  popular  right 
by  a  government  itself  despotic,  has  a 
tendency  to  strengthen  and  perpetuate  the 
same  principle  and  privilege  here  in  America 
and  everywhere  else. 

During   the  history  of  our   mission   work 
among  the  Dakotas,  the  plan  was  formed  of 
organizing   and   concentrating   the   civilized 
elements  for  the  purpose  of  mutual  protection 
and  a  more  rapid  improvement.     This  -plan, 
originated  by  the  Indians,  was  carried  into 
effect.     The   Community   was    called   "  T/ie 
Hazehvood  BepuUic:'    All  that  joined  this 
new  Commonwealth  were  to  adopt  civilized 
habits,  live  in  houses,  cultivate  the  land,  and 
wear  the  dress  of  white  people.     They  had  a 
President,  a  Secretary,  and  three  Judges  to 
arbitrate  in  all  matters  of  dispute  and  diffi- 
culty.    In  their  Constitution  they  professed 
their  faith  in  the  one  true  God,  as  opposed  to 
the  many  gods  of  the  Dakotas.     They  cov- 
enanted to  regulate  their  lives  by  the  Bible. 


186  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

They  agreed  to  encourage  education,  to  sup- 
port schools,  and  labor  for  the  elevation  of 
the  people.  They  pledged  themselves  to  be 
obedient  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States, 
and  asked  the  agent  of  the  government  to 
recognize  them  as  a  civil  community. 

Here,  then,  was  at  least  a  star  in  the  civil 
firmament,  that  rose  as  a  result  of  mis- 
sions, to  enter  into  the  system  or  sympathy 
of  the  general  government.  Things  took  a 
more- specific  form  in  this  case  than  in  most 
other  cases.  And  yet  the  spirit  of  these 
men  that  formed  this  Indian  Republic,  is  the 
spirit  that  foreign  missions  have  awakened 
the  world  over.  It  may  not  have  organized 
in  form  as  here,  yet  the  fearless  spirit  of 
it  exists  wherever  a  pure  gospel  has  been 
planted,  and  the  power  of  it  has  been  felt. 

The  government  of  many  of  the  Indian 
tribes  is  modeled  very  considerably  after 
our  own  government.  I  would  cite  the 
Cherokee  government  as  an  illustration. 
Two   things   can    be    said   of   it;    it   is   an 


OUR    GOVERNMENT  IMITATED.'         187 

exceedingly  good  imitation,  in  all  its  depart- 
ments, of  our  government; — and  it  has 
served  to  give  the  Indians  a  sort  of  appren- 
ticeship for  citizenship  in  our  government. 
The  same  thing  is  true,  in  a  measure,  with 
the  Choctaw  people,  and  not  a  few  of  the 
other  tribes  in  the  West  and  Northwest. 
They  have  imitated  our  government  in  very 
important  respects,  and  are  therefore  in  a 
course  of  preparation  to  become  a  part  of  it 
in  the  Union. 

It  need  not  be  asked  what  has  induced 
these  Indians  to  pattern  after  our  institu- 
tions. No  one  can  doubt  that  it  is  the  influ- 
ence of  the  missionary  work  among  them, 
that  has  given  them  education,  and  im- 
pressed upon  them  .the  customs,  habits  and 
ideas  of  civilization.  And  more  than  this 
has  that  work  accomplished.  It  has  put  a 
new  spirit  into  these  red  men  of  the  forest ; 
it  has  kindled  the  spirit  of  civil  liberty ;  it 
has  awakened  the  spirit  of  natural  justice 
and  moral  right ;  it  has  given  them  the  con- 


188        *  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

sciousness  of  a  higher  and  nobler  manhood, 
lifting  them  up  from  moral  degradation,  and 
giving  them  a  desire  for  better  institutions, 
for  better  protection,  and  for  better  treat- 
ment ! 

This  is  a  fair  illustration  of  the  working 
of  Protestant  Christianity  the  world  over. 
These  instances  here  named  are  drops  in  the 
shower  of  other  and  more  abundant  influ- 
ences that  help  to  bless  the  world. 

The  President  of  the  Hazelwood  Eepublic 
was  among  the  most  fearless  and  energetic 
in  opposition  to  the  great  uprising  among 
the  Dakotas.  Under  his  championship  many 
a  white  captive  was  delivered.  It  was  the 
influence  of  a  few  mighty  spirits  among  the 
Cherokees,  furthest  advanced  in  civilization, 
that  held  those  Indians  of  the  Southwest  to 
the  Union  during  the  great  national  rebel- 
lion. They  did  far  better  than  their  white 
neighbors  in  this  respect.  Why?  They 
had  been  taught  by  those  who  were  friends 
to    the   government.     Their   j)rinciples   had 


CHRISTIAN  SAFETY.  189 

been  established  by  the  gospel  as  preached 
to  them  by  missionaries. 

Wherever  the  gospel  is  carried,  a  seed  of 
Christian  civilization  is  sown.  To  chanjre 
the  figure,  a  nerve  of  moral  vitality  is  cre- 
ated, a  pulse  of  civil  liberty  is  awakened, 
that  adds  to  the  force  and  strength  of  free 
institutions  the  world  over.  This  is  the 
natural  effect  of  a  pure  gospel.  It  does  not 
gender  to  bondage,  but  for  freedom.  Take 
it  away  from  all  association  with  formality 
and  a  dead  civilization,  let  it  kindle  in  new 
elements,  and  under  favorable  circumstances, 
even  though  amidst  all  the  disadvantages  of 
skepticism  and  heathenism,  and  the  light 
that  follows  is  sure  to  be  the  light  of  Chris- 
tian liberty. 

I  ought  not  to  leave  this  matter  without 
referring  again  to  the  islands  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  The  Friendly  Islands,  made  Chris- 
tian by  foreign  missionary  efforts,  are  now 
well  governed.  There  is  the  form  of  mon- 
archy,  with    the   spirit   and    enjoyment   of 


190  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

freedom.  The  king  is  himself  a  preacher  of 
the  gospel,  and  as  he  goes  from  island  to 
island  to  administer  the  laws  of  his  realm, 
he  preaches  the  gospel  of  Christ;  and  so 
seeks  to  impress  upon  his  people  their  obli- 
gation to  the  higher  laws  of  a  better  king. 
This  change  in  the  civil  administration  is  the 
result  of  successful  missionary  labor  there. 
The  same  facts  are  true  of  the  Feejee 
group.  A  few  years  ago  they  were 
savages  and  cannibals  of  the  lowest  type. 
They  were  among  the  most  barbarous  and 
brutal  that  inhabited  the  Pacific  Islands. 
One  of  their  chiefs,  I  am  told,  is  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel ;  and  he,  too,  makes  the  admin- 
istration of  the  laws  of  his  realm  subservient 
to  the  administration  of  the  laws  of  God. 
Those  Feejee  Islands,  so  recently  savage, 
are  now  Christianized  through  the  influence 
of  missionaries.  Some  five  thousand  con- 
verts have  been  numbered  there  within  a  few 
years ;  and  the  change  in  the  hearts  and 
habits  of  the  people  has  wrought   a  corre- 


•  FRIENDLY  AND   FEEJEE   GROUPS.       191 

sponcling  change  in  the  government,  and  has 
put  the  spmt  of  liberty  in  the  place  of  an 
iron  despotism. 

When  our  missionaries  went  to  the  Sand- 
wich Islands,  fifty  years  ago,  the  government 
was  a  pure  despotism.  The  Idng  owned  the 
land  and  the  people.  His  word  was  law. 
He  put  his    subjects  to    death  at   his  will. 

The  gospel  was  established  there;  the 
rulers  became  interested.  The  first  efi*ect 
was  a  modification  of  the  old  government ;  a 
softening  of  its  despotism,  and  putting  more 
of  humanity  into  its  administration.  The 
ultimate  efi'ect  has  been  the  formation  of  a 
new  government,  that  guarantees  to  the 
people  their  rights  and  liberties.  Dr.  An- 
derson says,  in  substance,  there  is  no  people 
on  earth  that  has  a  larger  measure  of  lib- 
erty or  fuller  protection  of  law  in  their 
property  and  persons,  than  the  Hawaiians. 
We  may  regard  the  Hawaiian  government 
as  in  sympathy  with  our  American  insti- 
tutions.    It   is  our  nearest  neighbor  in  the 


192  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

west.      A   few   week's  sail  takes  us   to  the 
capital  from  our  western  coast. 

The  influence  used  to  afiect  that  gov- 
ernment for  evil,  and  bring  it  under  papal 
control,  did  not  have  the  sympathy  of 
England,  nor  of  the  other  Protestant 
nations.  The  spirit  of  liberty  and  of 
Protestantism  has  reasserted  itself  there, 
and  will  continue  to  conform  to  the  Con- 
stitution and  charter  of  the  State.  This 
late  experiment  will  strengthen  those  new 
institutions,  demonstrate  their  value,  insure 
their  permanency,  and  add  to  the  great  com- 
monwealth of  liberty. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  influence  of 
missions  in  our  late  war.  Though  in  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  many  of  them,  they  were 
a  cordon  of  support  and  strength  to  us. 
There  is  scarcely  a  missionary  station  on 
earth,  I  think,  that  did  not  sympathize  with 
us  in  that  struggle.  There  was  not,  perhaps, 
a  people  in  the  whole  world  that  had  been 
regenerated    by    Christian     missions,     that 


INFLUENCE  IN  OUR   LATE    WAR.        193 

were  not  with  us  in  sympathy  during  that 
terrible  crisis.  This  sympathy  took  the 
form  of  prayer  mostly, — the  only  effective 
form  it  could  take  in  most  cases ;  though 
the  names  of  some  of  our  honored  mis- 
sionaries, and  many  of  their  noble  sons, 
are  on  the  list  of  those  who  served  and 
fell  in  the  war.  But  generally  the  mission- 
aries of  our  own  and  other  Boards,  were 
shut  out  by  nationality,  distance,  or  pressure 
of  responsibility,  from  actual  service.  Mark 
the  accounts  given  by  missionaries  in  those 
days,  showing  how  their  people  were 
affected  by  our  struggle  and  peril.  One 
of  them  told  me  that,  late  one  evening,  there 
was  a  rap  at  his  door.  He  rose  and  went 
to  the  veranda,  and  found  there  a  native 
pastor  from  the  vicinity,  and  his  whole  con- 
gregation. He  told  the  missionary  that 
they  had  been  spending  that  evening  in 
prayer  for  America  ;  and  had  called  to  ask  a 
favor  of  him ;  namely,  that  when  the  news 
should  come  from  America  that  the  war  was 

13 


194  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

ended  and  slavery  overthrown,  lie  would  let 
them  know  it  at  once  ;  for  they  resolved  that 
eveninsr  to  have  a  Juhilee  as  soon  as  the 
news  came,  or  time  of  general  Thanksgiving 
and  praise  to  God. 

The  missionary  remarked  to  me  that  that 
had  been  one  of  the  darkest  days  in  his  life. 
It  was  certainly  the  darkest  period  of  the 
war.  Defeat  had  followed  upon  the  heels  of 
defeat  and  disaster  for  a  Ions:  time.  And 
news  had  just  reached  India  that  England 
had  recognized  the  Confederacy  as  a  govern- 
ment; and  they  were  expecting  orders  to 
act  in  accordance  with  this  new  state  of 
things.  "But,"  said  he,  "that  scene  at  my 
door,  the  coming  of  that  crowd  by  night  on 
such  an  errand,  the  spirit  that  was  manifest 
in  them,  and  the  way  in  which  the  request 
was  worded,  gave  me  new  courage.  The 
pastor  did  not  say  if  good  news  shall  come 
thus  and  thus,  we  want  to  know  it;  but 
WHEN  the  good  news  shall  come  we  wish  to 
meet  and  give  praise   to   God  I     The   Ian- 


THE   PRAYER   MEETING.  195 

guage  was  not  that  of  doubt,  but  of  fliith, 
that  lifted  them  above  the  need  of  ifs,  or 
expressions  of  discouragement  or  doubt. 
They  knew,  for  God  had  given  them  the 
evidence  that  night  that  the  event  would 
certainly  come,  and  what  they  wanted  was 
to  know  it  at  once,  that  they  might  all  join 
in  praise  to  God  for  it  at  once. 

Was  this  a  small  matter  ?  It  did  not  seem 
very  much  to  human  view.  But  we  must  not 
call  any  thing  small  that  shows  God's  will, 
or  that  takes  hold  on  His  strength?  The 
mightiest  forces  of  the  universe  are  from  the 
secret  places  of  prayer,  where  are  the  hid- 
ings of  God's  power. 

This  was  in  Ceylon,  many  thousand  miles 
off.  And  these  were  native  Christians,  sub- 
jects of  the  British  government, —  itself  in- 
deed none  too  friendly  toward  us  at  that 
time.  But  how  came  they  to  care  for  us  in 
our  trial?  The  question  has  been  many 
times  answered  in  this  volume.  Missiona- 
ries had  taught  them,  and  God  had  given 


196  THESE   FOR    THOSE. 

tfiem  hearts  that  inclined  them  to  justice  and 
humanity. 

But  was  there  any  thing  peculiar  in  the 
sympathy  of  these  native  Christians,  in 
our  behalf?  Not  at  all !  There  was  the 
same  wish,  the  same  heart  and  prayer,  at  a 
multitude  of  other  missionary  stations.  Our 
government  was .  not  aware  at  the  time  of 
the  great  strength  it  was  receiving  then  from 
the  prayers  and  sympathies  of  good  people 
redeemed  from  paganism,  the  world  over. 

The  high  standard  of  credit  at  which  our 
Board  held  itself-  abroad  during  the  war, 
even  at  its  darkest  period,  I  rejoice  to  say, 
had  a  most  favorable  influence  upon  our 
national  credit  at  this  time.  It  is  natural 
that  it  should  be  so.  The  credit  of  a  great 
representative  Society  of  Christians  in  the 
country,  was  properly  taken  as  indexical 
of  the  national  wealth  and  will  and  heart. 
It  had  a  tendency  to  assure  and  strengthen 
the  credit  of  the  government.  The  propa- 
gators  of  Christianity  over  the  world  were 


NATIONAL    CREDIT.  197 

rightly  taken  as  representatives  of  the 
national  character  and  credit.  If  business 
houses  in  Europe,  such  as  the  Barings  and 
Eothschilds,  would  take  the  Board's  scrip, 
or  answer  its  drafts  at  sight,  this  had  a 
tendency  to  hold  up  our  other  credits  in  the 
world's  markets.  It  was  known  that  the 
American  Board  depended  mainly  on  the 
ability  and  benevolence  of  the  churches ; 
that  they  had  no  other  capital  or  resources 
upon  which  to  do  their  great  business 
abroad,  —  or  none  to  be  named.  But  the 
Board  went  on  with  its  vast  work  as  if  the 
country  was  at  peace.  The  pulse  of  its 
energy  and  credit  was  firm.  Christian  men 
gave  as  before,  and  more  abundantly,  and 
seemed  to  lose  none  of  their  interest  in  the 
foreign  missionary  work.  This  told  well 
upon  the  public  sentiment  of  the  world.  It 
was  a  talisman  as  touching  our  credit  abroad. 
If  the  Board  had  given  up  its  work,  as  some 
timidly  counseled  at  the  time,  the  effect 
upon  the  national  cause  and  credit  abroad 


198  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

would  have  been  injurious.  If  the  Board 
had  suspended  specie  payment  among  its 
missions  ;  or  had  cut  them  down  to  the  basis 
of  a  depreciated  currency ;  or  had  diminished 
largely  its  appropriations ;  or  had  reported 
a  sinking  debt,  a  lost  credit,  or  an  empty 
treasury,  it  would  have  been  felt  in  the 
stock-markets  of  Europe,  and  the  govern- 
ment securities  would  have  suffered  in  con- 
sequence. 

I  have  thus  glanced  at  the  influence  exert- 
ed on  our  government  by  foreign  missions. 
We  have  seen  that  it  is  a  positively  favorable 
influence.  The  full  treatment  of  the  subject 
would  require  a  volume.  But  as  the  con- 
viction of  a  fact  is  what  I  aim  at  now,  rather 
than  to  present  full  information  of  the 
grounds  upon  which  the  fact  is  based,  I  rest 
the  point  here. 


TOPIC    IV. 

OUK   INDEBTEDNESS    TO    MISSIONS, 
AS  PEOFITABLE  PECUNIARILY. 


CHAPTER  Xm. 

THE   EFFECT   OF    FOREIGN    MISSIONS   ON   COM- 
MERCE  AND   TRADE. 

Testimony  op  Rev.  T.  S.  Williamson  —  Saving  in 
Insurance  —  Perils  of  the  Pacific  —  The  Change 
—  Our  trade  witb.  Africa  and  other  Heathen 
Countries. 

PEOPOSE  now  to  show  the  jpecuni- 
ary  benefits  that  come  to  us  from 
foreign  missions.  I  shall  devote  little 
space  to  this  subject.  I  feel  less  of  iutei'est 
in  it  than  in  the  other  Topics.  The  naming 
of  this  subject  may  take  the  reader  by  sur- 
prise. He  will  hardly  be  ^Drepared  to  hear 
that  foreign  missions,  often  regarded  as  an 
outset  or  burden,  have  come  to  be  consid- 
ered as  profitable  pecuniarily.  But  if  it  can 
be  shown  that  they  are  so,  it  certainly  re- 
moves one  of  the  most  popular  objections 
against  them. 


202  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

I  take  the  item  of  commerce  upon  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  Once  the  terror  of  that  ocean 
was  the  barbarism  of  the  natives.  The  great 
peril  of  sea-faring  men  there,  was  not  storms 
and  waves,  but  savages  and  cannibals.  Our 
vessels  had  to  go  to  that  Ocean  for  trade. 
Those  thousands  of  islands  were  once  heathen. 
Hence  the  peril  of  our  ships  and  crews  there. 

Formerly,  when  ships  were  wrecked  upon 
the  isles  of  the  Pacific,  the  native  inhabitants 
appropriated  so  much  of  the  cargo  as  they 
could  get  hold  of,  to  their  own  use,  and 
often  murdered  the  whole  crew.  When  ves- 
sels stopped  at  the  islands  to  obtain  water 
and  vegetables,  the  crews  were  sometimes 
overpowered,  and  the  vessels  destroyed. 

But  it  is  different  now.  Most  of  those 
islands  are  evangelized.  A  hundred  thou- 
sand converts  have  been  numbered  there. 
One  of  the  good  effects  of  this  change  is  the 
comparative  safety  given  to  our  ships  and 
men  on  those  seas.  Wherever  missions  have 
been   established,   it  is   safe  to   go  to   the 


.     PROTECTION  AND  INSURANCE.  203 

islands  for  supplies  and  for  trade.  When 
ships  are  wrecked  there,  the  natives  who  once 
took  advantage  of  such  a  calamity,  now  exert 
themselves  to  save  the  lives  and  the  property 
of  the  sufferers.  Many  ship-owners  and  nav- 
igators have  acknowledged  their  indebted- 
ness to  missions  in  thus  protecting  their 
property  and  the  lives  of  their  men.  It  has 
been  computed  that  the  property  thus  saved 
is  worth  far  more  than  the  entire  cost  of  all 
the  missions  to  those  islands.  Nor  does  this 
include  the  saving  of  property  on  the  score 
of  insurance.  This  is  a  larsre  item  of 
expense,  and  somewhat  difficult  to  estimate. 
I  venture  to  say  that  if  the  moral  condition 
of  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  was  at  the 
present  time  as  low  as  it  was  fifty  years  ago, 
the  cost  of  insurance  upon  vessels  chartered 
for  those  seas,  would  be  vastly  greater  than 
it  now  is. 

This  item  does  not  affect  the  merchants 
and  ship-owners  materially;  for  they  add 
these  collateral  expenses   and   risks  to   the 


204  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

price  of  the  goods  they  sell.  If  they  had  to 
pay  for  insurance  twice  the  amount  they  now 
pay,  it  would  not  be  at  their  own  expense. 
They  would  properly  add  this  amount  to  the 
price  of  their  merchandise.  They  would  not 
have  to  lose  it  themselves.  The  purchasers 
and  consumers  would  have  to  bear  the  loss. 
Here,  then,  is  a  saving  to  every  family  that 
uses  goods  that  cross  the  Pacific  Ocean  ;  teas, 
crapes,  silks,  oils,  tropical  fruit,  and  the 
thousand  things  of  beauty,  luxury  and  taste 
that  find  their  way  to  us  from  over  the 
Pacific  waters.  I  wish  it  to  be  kept  in  mind 
that  all  this  is  saved  to  us  by  reason  of  the 
civilization  that  has  coine  over  those  islands 
through  the  gospel. 

"  The  adventurer,  Magellan,  fell  at  the  La- 
drone  Islands ;  Captain  Cook  was  murdered 
at  the  Sandwich  Islands  ;  the  ship  '  Venus ' 
was  taken  at  Tahiti ;  M.  de  Langle  and  his 
conpanions  were  killed  at  the  Samoas ;  The 
'  Port  au  Prince '  was  seized  at  Lefuga,  and 
the  crew  of  the  *  Boyd '  was  massacred  at  New 


WILLIAMS'S  TESTIMONY.  205 

Zealand.  Multitudes  have  perished  by  sav- 
age violence  on  those  seas.  But  now  at 
nearly  all  those  islands  there  are  mission- 
ary stations,  where  hundreds  of  vessels  an- 
nually resort  with  safety.  The  crews  look 
forward  with  pleasure  to  the  hour  when  the 
anchor  shall  be  dropped  in  the  tranquil  La- 
goon, or  island  harbor,  and  they  shall  find  a 
generous  welcome.  At  a  small  expense  now 
the  captains  can  obtain  a  fresh  supply  of 
various  provisions,  refit  their  vessels,  and 
strengthen  their  crews."  ^ 

When  vessels  are  wrecked  about  those 
islands  now,  the  captains  attest  that  not  a 
nail  is  lost.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  dol- 
lars have  been  sent  home  as  proceeds  from 
the  sale  of  property  saved  from  wrecks  in 
that  ocean  by  the  energy  and  personal  adven- 
ture often  of  Christian  natives.  Thus  many 
a  missionary  has  had  the  influence  of  a  gov- 
ernment consul  at  the  islands,  and  without 
any  expense  to  government ;  and  his  station 

^  Williams's  Missionary  Enterprises. 


206  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

becomes  a  little  insurance  company,  to  pro- 
tect American  property  and  life.  This  in- 
deed is  income,  without  any  offset  or  outset 
to  those  concerned.  "  The  missionary  enter- 
prise, by  finding  out  new  havens  at  the 
antipodes  for  our  fleets,  opening  new  chan- 
nels for  our  commerce,  and  everjrwhere 
multiplying  the  friends  of  our  nation,  is 
eminently  conducive  to  our  prosperity  in 
temporal  and  pecuniary  interests.  Such  is 
the  imposing  magnitude  to  which  this  class 
of  results  has  attained,  that  men  who  care 
not  for  any  other  or  higher  benefit,  ac- 
knowledge that  this  alone  would  amply 
repay  the  efforts  by  which  it  has  been 
gained."  ^  I  turn  now  to  other  views  to  illus- 
trate the  profitableness  of  foreign  missions. 
Says  the  Eev.  H.  A.  Wilder,  missionary 
of  the  Board  in  Africa  :  "  When  we  went  to 
the  Zulu  Land,  we  found  only  the  rudest 
implements  of  farming.  A  clumsy  hick,  or 
hoe,  was  used  for  breaking  up  the  ground, 

^  Harris. 


WILDER' 8  TESTIMONY.  207 

for  hoeing  the  crops,  for  ditching,  etc. 
Thousands  of  oxen  were  idling  away  their 
useless  existence  on  the  hills.  All  the  bur- 
den of  agriculture  came  on  the  women,  who 
were  bought  and  sold  as  chattels.  To  yoke 
an  ox  to  a  cart  or  plow  was  never  dreamed 
of.  They  had  neither  carts  nor  plows  nor 
any  such  things. 

"But  the  missionaries  took  plows  there 
and  used  wagons,  trained  oxen  to  the  yoke, 
and  showed  the  natives  how  much  more 
valuable  an  ox  yoked  to  the  cart  or  plow 
wasj.in  breaking  up  the  ground  and  trans- 
porting burdens,   than  a  woman. 

"Now  there  are  owned  by  Kaffirs  hundreds 
of  American  plows;  and  there  are  broken 
to  the  yoke,  tens  of  thousands  of  oxen,  by 
those  who  twenty-five  years  ago  never  saw 
a  plow,  nor  yoked  an  ox.  It  is  said  that 
last  year  five  hundred  American  plows  were 
sold  to  the  natives  of  JSTatal  alone.  Those 
plows  were  made  in  this  country  ;  and  Natal 
is  not  the  only  market,  but  only  one  in  a 


208  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

hundred  other  markets,  opened  in  the 
heathen  world  by  missionary  labor. 

"  But  not  plows  alone  have  been  demanded 
by  our  native  Christians.  They  all  clothe 
themselves  in  civilized  and  European  style, 
creating  a  large  and  ever-increasing  demand 
for  the  products  of  the  loom.  Furniture 
for  their  houses,  cooking  utensils,  wagons, 
carts,  harnesses,  saddles,  bridles,  books, 
maps,  etc.,  etc.,  are  being  demanded  and 
purchased  by  those  who  but  for  Christianity 
would  now  be  naked  heathen,  living*  on  the 
labor  of  the  women  whom  they  own. 

"  Not  only  to  the  professed  Christians  have 
these  civilizing  influences  come,  but  far  away, 
in  regions  beyond,  among  those  who,  as  yet, 
profess  no  regard  for  the  gospel,  the  plow, 
the  cart  and  things  of  civilization  are  sought, 
because  the  ^believers'  have  demonstrated 
their  utility. 

"The  American  j9?oz(?s  sold  last  year  brought 
more  money  than  costs  to  sustain  the  Zulu 
mission.     And  this  is  in  addition  to  all  other 


OTHER  FACTS.  209 

kinds  of  American  manufactures  which  the 
gospel  among  the  Kaffirs  has  made  a  de- 
mand for." 

As  an  illustration  of  these  facts,  and  in 
confirmation  of  what  Bro.  Wilder  has  said, 
I  will  state  that  a  house  in  Boston  filled  an 
order  made  by  Mr.  Rood  of  the  Zulu  mission 
for  his  own  people  simply,  of  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars  in  one  year.  In 'that  order 
were  included  almost  every  conceivable 
article  essential  to  civilized  life. 

It  will   be   remembered   that   now  nearly 
one-sixth   part   of  heathen  Africa  has  been 
reached  or  approached  by  missionary  influ- 
ence.      And    the    work    is   going  forward 
steadily. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  opening  of  so  large 
a  portion  of  Africa  to  the  commerce  and  mar- 
kets of  the  world,  is  a  matter  worthy  of  con- 
sideration and  of  record.  It  afiects  business 
slightly  in  all  our  country;  and  adds  a 
fraction  at  least  to  the  profits  of  labor  and  of 
trade. 

14 


210  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

But  the  openings  in  Africa  are  hardly  to 
be  named  when  we  take  the  whole  missionary 
world  into  the  account :  China,  Japan,  India, 
Burmah,  Turkey,  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  In- 
dian tribes  and  other  vast  islands  now  upon 
the  highway  of  our  nation  westward.  I  argue 
that  the  aggregate  of  business  thus  brought 
to .  our  markets  by  this  world-wide  work, 
counted  in  with  the  amount  saved  by  the  in- 
creased safety  of  our  commerce  on  the  high 
seas,  with  the  diminished  cost  of  insurance, 
by  reason  of  the  evangelizing  of  those  savage 
islands,  —  adding,  too,  the  vast  amount  saved 
in  the  management  of  our  Indian  affairs  and 
our  foreign  diplomacy  through  the  influence 
and  aid  of  missionaries,  —  many  times  more 
than  compensates  for  all  that  is  paid  out  for 
their  support ! 

But  if  commerce  and  trade  are  thus  affected 
by  bare  beginnings  in  this  direction,  what  will 
the  result  be  when  foreign  missions  shall 
have  moved  on  toward  their  meridian  ?  When 
instead  of  one-sixth  of  heathen  Africa,  one- 
lialf  of  it  shall  have  come  to  our  markets ; 


SELF-RELIANCE.    '  211 

and  for  a  hundredth  part  of  China,  we  shall 
trade  with  a  tenth,  a  fifth,  or  a  half  even  of 
that  great  empire,  then  the  question  of  their 
profitableness  will  be  settled. 

But  will  not  the  heathen  themselves  be- 
(iome  producers  when  they  have  reached  civ- 
ilization and  intelligence,  and  so  supply  their 
own  wants  ?  It  will  no  doubt  be  so  in  part ; 
but  this  form  of  civilizing  influence  from 
Christian  efibrt  is  very  gradual.  And  large 
portions  of  the  pagan  world  do  not  seem  to 
possess  the  Yankee  gift  of  invention  in  a 
high  degree,  nor  very  much  of  mechanical 
skill.  It*  is  clear  that  the  openings  for 
commerce  and  trade  in  the  heathen  world  are 
to  be  far  more  rapid  than  the  development 
of  the  Ano^lo-Saxon  talent  and  tact  in  the 
way  of  the  useful  arts.  Necessity  stimulates 
invention ;  but  where  invention  has  forerun 
or  anticipated  the  consciousness  of  necessity, 
as  in  the  heathen  world,  that  have  the 
products  of  our  invention  and  arts  offered 
them  at  their  hand,  one  of  the  incitements 
to  invention  and  skill  will  be  gone. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

PECUNIARY   ADVANTAGE    OF   MISSIONS. 

President  Lincoln's  Gift  —  Keioela's  Letter  —  How 
Missions  have  helped  Trade  — The  Views  op 
Eev.  T.  S.  Williamson. 

f... 

T  will  be  recollected  that  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  made  a  present  of 
^ve  hundred  dollars  in  gold  to  a  native 
missionary  at  the  Marquesas  Islands  for  the 
protection  given  to  an  Americ§.n  whale- 
ship.  The  ship  had  touched  at  one  of 
those  savage  islands  for  supplies.  Mr. 
Whalon,  the  first  mate,  went  ashore.  He 
was  at  once  seized  and  dragged  away  to  be 
killed  and  eaten.  A  chief  had  ordered  tliis 
to  avenge,  as  he  pretended,  an  insult  done 
him  by  wicked  men  from  Peru  long  ago. 

Kekela,  a  copper-coloi*ed  missionary,  na- 
tive of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  made  haste  to 


KEKELA  TO  PEES.  LINCOLK.  213 

rescue  the  mate,  and  succeeded,  by  giving  up 
a  new  six-oared  boat  to  the  chief.  Kekela 
greatly  prized  this  boat,  and  needed  it  much 
in  his  missionary  work.  Others  would  have 
fallen  into  the  same  snare  but  for  a  Marque- 
san  girl  living  in  the  family  of  Kekela,  who 
made  signs  to  the  men  to  go  back  to  their 
vessel. 

But  for  the  presence  of  this  missionary, 
the  ship,  cargo  and  crew  would  undoubtedly 
have  been  destroyed.  This  story  was  told 
Mr.  Lincoln,  who  was  deeply  affected  by  it, 
and  advanced  from  his  own  purse  ^yq  hun- 
dred dollars  in  gold,  to  be  given  to  the 
deliverer  of  that  American  crew.  Here  is  a 
part  of  the  letter  written  by  Kekela  to  Mr. 
Lincoln  in  response  :  — 

"  Greetings  to  you,  great  and  good  friend. 
My  mind  is  stirred  up  to  address  you  in 
friendship.  I  greatly  respect  you  for  holding 
converse  with  ^uch  humble  ones.  Such 
jou  well  know  us  to  M.  When  I  saw 
ohe  of  your  countrymen,  a  citizen  of  your 


214  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

great  nation,  ill-treated,  and  about  to  be 
baked  and  eaten,  as  a  pig  is  eaten,  I  ran  to 
deliver  him,  full  of  pity  and  grief  at  the  evil 
deed  of  these  benighted  people. 

"  As  to  this  friendly  deed  of  mine  in  saving 
Mr.  Whalon,  its  seed  came  from  your  great 
land,  and  was  brought  by  certain  of  your 
countrymen,  who  had  received  the,  love  of 
God.  It  was  planted  in  Hawaii,  and  I 
brought  it  to  plant  in  this  land  and  in  these 
dark  regions,  that  they  might  receive  the 
root  of  all  that  is  good  and  true  which  is 
love:  Love  to  Jehovah:  Love  to  self: 
Love  to  our  neighbor.  This  is  a  great  thing 
for  your  great  nation  to  boast  of  before  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth.  From  your  great 
land  a  most  precious  seed  was  brought  to  the 
land  of  darkness. 

"  How  shall  I  repay  your  great  kindness 
to  me?  Thus  David  asked  of  Jehovah,  and 
thus  I  ask  of  you,  the  President  of  the 
United  States.  This  is  my  only  payment  — 
that  which  I  have  received  of  the  Lord,  aloha 


TOO  LATE,  215 

(love).  May  the  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
abound  with  you  until  the  end  of  this 
terrible  war  in  your  land." 

"Alas,  that  the  great  man  to  whom  this 
letter  was  addressed,  did  not  live  even  to 
see  the  letter  !  When  it  reached  Washing- 
ton our  whole  land  was  in  mourning."  i 

In  addition  to  the  saving  of  life  and  prop- 
erty as  above  described,  these  missions  have 
by  their  civilizing  influence,  and  thus  increas- 
ing the  wants  and  industries  of  the  islanders, 
increased  the  amount  and  profit  of  our  com- 
merce. These  things  have  been  seen  and 
acknowledged  by  traders,  and  missions  have 
been  commended  as  profitable  by  those  who 
had  no  interest  in  religion. 

Savages  do  not  know  the  value  of  soils 
or  mines,  timbers  or  waterfalls.  They  do 
not  see  the  advantage  of  a  house  to  live  in, 
over  a  hut  or  shanty,  nor  the  convenience  of 
furniture,  and  the  things  that  come  of  thought 
and  taste. 

» History  of  tlie  "  Morning  Star." 


216  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

But  missions  awaken  the  intellect  and  the 
whole  manhood ;  they  bring  men  to  a  con- 
sciousness of  their  deficiencies  and  neces- 
sities. They  soon  come  to  see  that  it  is 
unsuitable  to  go  naked,  that  cleanliness  is 
better  than  filth,  industry  than  idleness, 
civilization  than  savagism.  So  their  thrift- 
lessness  gradually  disappears.  They  come  to 
want  houses  to  live  in,  with  doors,  windows 
and  furniture,  which  we  furnish  for  a  price. 
And  the  soil  is  taken  in  hand.  They  want 
plows  to  break  it  up,  and  every  sort  of  agri- 
cultural implement  that  we  make.  There 
is  a  growing  demand  in  heathen  countries 
for  almost  every  thing  that  we  manufacture. 
A  small  per  cent  of  profit  has  been  added  to 
nearly  every  railroad  and  manufacturing 
house  in  the  country  from  this  source.  Our 
wharves,  ships,  farms,  factories,  waterfalls, 
are  worth  a  fraction  more  on  account  of  for- 
eign missions.  It  has  been  estimated  that 
England  recieves  back  tenfold  in  various 
ways  on  her  outlay  for  missions.     She  gives 


SORGHUM  PLANT.  217 

ten  dollars  to  convert  the  world,  and  gets 
back  in  return  a  hundred  dollars.  It  is 
something  certainly  that  for  every  dollar  we 
send  to  the  heathen,  we  get  back  two,  three  or 
^YQ  dollars,  and  this  ratio  is  increasing  every 
year.  Missions  are  becoming  a  source  of 
profit  to  our  people.  Let  this  fact  have  its 
weight  in  our  estimate  of  them,  and  silence 
the  complaint  that  foreign  missions  im- 
poverish us.  It  is  not  so  ;  they  are  a  source 
of  wealth  to  the  nation. 

Near  the  beginning  of  the  year  1854,  Eev. 
H.  A.  Wilder,  missionary  to  the  Zulus  in 
South  Africa,  called  the  attention  of  Ameri- 
can agriculturists,  through  a  letter  he  pub- 
lished in  the  Journal  of  Commerce,  to  the 
African  Sorghum,  or  "  Imphee"  as  a  syrup 
and  sugar-producing  plant.  He  sent  the 
names  and  descriptions  of  upwards  of  a 
dozen  varieties,  and  also  sent  specimens  of 
the  seeds  to  the  editors  of  the  Journal  of 
Commerce,  and  others  in  America.  An 
eminent  horticulturist    in  America  planted 


218  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

seed  sent  to  him,  and  reported  favorably  of 
the  saccharine  properties  of  the  juice  which  he 
tested.  Soon  after  this  plant  was  brought  to 
the  notice  of  Americans  through  the  Journal 
of  Commerce,  as  above  stated,  Mr.  Leonard 
Weay,  an  Englishman  who  had  resided  in 
Natal  two  or  three  years,  came  to  America, 
bringing  quantities  of  Imphee  seed  with 
him,  and  did  much  towards  introducing  and 
extending  its  culture. 

The  annual  value  of  the  crop  of  Lnjpliee  and 
Chinese  Sorghum,  a  similar  plant,  amounts 
to  several  millions  of  dollars  yearly.  We 
believe  that  to  Mr.  Wilder  belongs  the  credit 
of  having  first  brought  this  plant  to  the 
notice  of  the  American  people  by  his  letter, 
and  by  sending  the  seeds  first  cultivated  in 
this  country.  The  growth  of  this  plant  is 
very  extensive  throughout  the  South  and 
West.  Where  the  larger  varieties  of  Indian 
corn  come  to  perfection,  this  plant  flourishes. 
There  are  numerous  large  establishments 
devoted  chiefly  to  the   manufacture   of  ma- 


SANTEE  COLONY.  219 

cliinery  to  convert  the  juice  of  the  Imphee 
into  syrup  and  sugar. 

The  following  facts  would  have  come  in 
properly  under  the  preceding  Topic,  as  illus- 
trating the  usefulness  of  missions  in  promot- 
ing Indian  civilization.  But  as  they  also 
illustrate  the  profitableness  of  missions 
pecuniarily,  in  the  way  of  influencing  the  red 
men  to  reUnquish  their  appropriations  from 
the  government,  which  would  come  indirectly 
from  the  purses  of  the  people,  and  set  up 
for  themselves,  instead  of  remaining  expen- 
sive wards  of  the  white  people,  I  thought  it 
best  to  make  the  record  under  this  Topic. 

Last  year,  some  fifty  families  of  Indians 
colonized  from  the  Santee  Agency,  and  set- 
tled on  the  head  waters  of  the  Big  Sioux  river. 
Their  leading  idea  is  to  become  Citizens  of 
the.  United  States.  They  leave  behind  all 
Indian  customs,  and  adopt  our  own  American 
customs  and  laws,  to  get  away  from  Indian 
habits  and  to  find  a  better  home.  In  leavinof 
Nebraska,  they   forfeit   all   the   government 


220  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

gives  them,  which  is  quite  coasiderable  at 
the  present  time. 

Kev.  J.  P.  Williamson  says  :  "  The  com- 
munity is  reported  to  be  prosperous,  both 
temporally  and  spiritually."  They  have  suc- 
ceeded in  supporting  themselves  comfortably 
during  the  year,  and  have  already  obtained 
their  Homestead  papers. 

These  Indians  carry  with  them  Christian 
ideas,  holding  meetings  on  the  Sabbath  and 
during  the  week.  They  are  desirous  to  obtain 
missionary  help.  A  church  has  already  been 
formed  of  about  ninety  members. 

We  record  these  facts  with  great  pleasure, 
for  their  bearing  on  the  Topic  now  before  us, 
and  grave  questions  relating  to  Indian  civili- 
zation, and  thoi  profitableness  of  missions. 

I  add  here  an  extended  extract  from  a 
letter  I  received  recently  from  our  veteran 
missionary,  Eev.  T.  S.  Williamson,  before 
referred  to.  It  bears  directly  upon  this  sub- 
ject. It  is  from  a  most  reliable  man,  and 
has   a  historic    value  that   well  repays  the 


MR.    WILLIAMSON.  221 

reading,  though  of  some  length.  He  shows 
the  saving  of  money,  as  well  as  of  life,  that 
our  Indian  missions  have  been  to  us.  His 
testimony  would  have  been  apposite  under 
the  two  preceding  topics,  to  show  the  value 
of  missions  to  the  country  generally,  as  also 
to  the  government  in  particular,  in  its  man- 
agement of  the  Indian  Department.  But  I 
have  reserved  it  for  this  place,  as  good 
testimony  with  reference  to  the  profitable- 
ness of  missions  in  a  pecuniary  aspect.  In 
another  part  of  the  letter,  for  which  I  have 
not  room  here,  the  writer  proceeds  to  certain 
military  calculations,  and  shows  to  a  demon- 
stration, on  the  basis  of  the  reckoning  of  the 
"Peace Commissioners,"  as  touching  the  cost 
of  our  Indian  wars,  and  the  cost  of  cutting 
off  hostile  Indians,  that  the  action  of  our 
mission,  and  that  of  the  friendly  Indians 
under  its  direct  influence,  has  accomplished 
what  would  have  cost  the  government  more 
than  twenty  millions  to  do.  If  the  Peace 
Commissioners  are  correct  in  their  calcula- 


222  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

tions,  and  Mr.  Williamson  is  right  in  his 
records  and  statements,  we  are  brought 
inevitably  to  his  conclusions.  But  as  the 
sum  total  seems  so  nearly  fabulous,  and  as 
some  doubt  may  rest  upon  the  correctness  of 
government  estimates  and  of  missionary 
estimates,  I  do  not  care  to  put  down  this 
sum  to  the  credit  of  the  missions.  We  find 
enough  in  the  extracts,  about  which  there 
is  no  doubt,  to  justify  the  proposition  or 
statement  that  missions  ai^e  profitable  to  us 
pecuniarily.  For  whatever  is  a  saving  to 
the  government  as  such,  let  it  be  remem- 
bered, is  profitable  to  us  individually.  We 
pay  government  expenses  by  a  sort  of 
insensible  taxation.  The  millions  it  costs 
to  subdue  and  govern  the  Indians,  and  to 
fulfil  contracts  with  them,  are  added  to  the 
cost  of  the  things  we  import  and  use  in 
daily  life  ;  as  also  upon  things  manufactured 
at  home,  upon  which  there  is  a  revenue  tax, 
all  which  has  to  be  paid  by  those  who  use 
the  things  manufactured.     So  a  million  spent 


MR.   WILLIAMSON.  223 

in  our  Indian  affairs,  is  really  assessed  upon 
the  people,  who  are  the  consumers;  and 
every  million  saved  is  so  much  deducted 
from  this  insensible  but  omnipresent  taxation 
of  the  people. 

Mr.  Williamson  says  :  — 

A  careful  examination  of  the  results  of  these 
missions  among  the  Indians  would  probably 
show  that  the  money  and  labor  expended  on 
them  have  been  a  very  profitable  investment  in 
a  financial  point  of  view. 

To  carry  out  the  policy  of  our  government,  and 
keep  the  Indians  always  on  our  frontier,  it  has  been 
found  necessary  to  move  many  of  them  from  one 
reserve  to  another,  and  some  of  the  tribes  have 
been  removed  as  many  as  half  a  dozen  times. 
They  are  generally  averse  to  leaving  the  graves 
of  their  ancestors.  They  know,  too,  that  they  can 
live  more  comfortable  while  surrounded  by  people 
who  are  under  the  restraints  of  law,  than  on  the 
frontier,  where  they  will  be  exposed  to  all  the  evils, 
without  any  of  the  benefits,  of  civilization.  So  in 
several  instances  it  has  been  found  necessary  to 
move  them  by  force,  —  sometimes  attended  with 
war,  as  in  driving  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  from  Illinois 
in  1832,  and  the  Seminoles  from  Florida  a  few  years 


224  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

later.  Even  when  there  was  no  war,  moving  Indi- 
ans by  miUtary  force  was  a  very  expensive  operation. 
When  the  increase  of  population  in  Iowa  made  it 
necessary  to  remove  the  Winnebagoes  from  what 
was  called  the  neutral  grounds  in  that  State  to  the 
reservation  assigned  them  on  Long  Prairie  Kiver 
in  Minnesota,  they  refused  to  go;  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  employ  the  military  to  compel  them  to  go. 
Many  of  them  soon  returned  to  their  old  haunts  in 
Wisconsin  and  Iowa,  and  Government  was  called 
on  to  remove  them  again.  As  moving  the  Indians 
has  been  found  to  be  a  very  unpleasant  business  for 
our  military  officers  and  soldiers,  —  a  contract*  was 
made  with  H.  M.  Eice,  previously  a  trader  among 
them,  and  subsequently  a  Senator  in  Congress  from 
Minnesota,  to  take  them  to  Long  Prairie,  for  up- 
wards of  seventy  dollars  a  head.  The  American 
Fur  Company  were  at  that  time  hostile  to  H.  M. 
Kice,  and  desirous  of  retaining  the  Winnebagoes  in 
Wisconsin.  Severe  articles  against  Mr.  Eice  and 
the  Government  were  published  in  the  St.  Paul 
papers,  charging  the  officers  who  made  the  contract 
with  extravagance  and  corruption.  To  this  the 
officer  replied,  showing  that  it  was  the  cheapest 
way  in  which  the  government  could  move  them, 
and  cost  much  less  than  it  had  cost  to  take  them  to 
the  same  place  before. 


MR.    WILLIAMSON,  225 

The  business  of  the  missionary  being  to  com- 
municate    knowledge,     the     Indians    who     have 
had  missionaries  residing  among  them  for  years, 
whether  they  have  embraced  the  gospel  or  not' 
have  obtained  so  much  knowledge  of  our  nation, 
that  when  the  officers  of  our  Government  tell  them' 
they  must  go,  knowing  that  our  Government  had 
power  to  compel  them  to  go,  however  averse  they 
may  be  to  leaving  the  graves  of  their  fathers  and 
scenes  of  their    childhood,   they  do  not  wait  for 
soldiers  to  drive  them.    The  only  exception  to  this 
I  can  recollect,  was  in  the  case  of  the  removal  of  the 
Cherokees  and  Choctaws.    In  that  case  they  could 
not  beUeve  that  Government  would  compel  them  to 
leave  a    country  in  which   we    had    promised    to 
protect    them,  and   a    large    majority  persistently 
refused  to  sell. 

The  Dakotas  who  formerly  dwelt  on  the  Missis- 
sippi   and    lower    Minnesota,   were   very  'stron-ly 
attached  to  the  country  which  their  ancestors  had 
occupied  for  several  generations.    It  is  beautifully 
diversified  with    prairie,  groves   of  timber,  rivers 
and  lakes;  and  abounded  in  wild  fruits,  game  and 
fish.    The  Reservation  assigned  them  was  almost 
all  prairie,  and  destitute  of  game;  they  knew  that  on 
It  they  must  depend  for  subsistence  on  cultivating 
the   earth,  and   on  what  government  would  give 
them.  15 


226  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Those  acquainted  with  them  knew  that  they  were 
mucli  averse  to  going.  Yet  they  did  go,  and  the 
officers  who  were  charged  with  their  removal  say 
in  a  report,  printed  by  authority  of  Congress,  tliat 
moving  them  did  not  cost  the  Government  one 
cent.  They  are  doubtless  entitled  to  credit  for  their 
skilful  management  of  the  •  business.  But  without 
the  knowledge  these  Dakotas  had  acquired  in  their 
intercourse  with  missionaries,  the  skill  of  these 
officers  would  have  been  unavailing;  and  the 
Dakotas  would  have  been  moved  by  military  force, 
as  were  the  Winnebagoes,  Sacs  and  Foxes,  and 
other  tribes  who  had  no  missionaries,  —  costing  the 
Government  at  the  lowest  calculation  seventy  dol- 
lars per  head;  and  as  the  number  moved  was  con- 
siderably upwards  of  3,000  souls,  the  cost  must  have 
exceeded  $210,000. 

"  The  entire  cost  of  our  mission  to  the  Dakotas, 
including  explorations,  outfits  of  missionaries,  and 
all  other  payments  for  eighteen  years,  was  ^39,296. 
The  Methodists  had  a  mission  among  these  Indians 
for  four  years,  and  the  Evangelical  Society  of  Lau- 
sanne, Switzerland,  for  less  than  ten  years.  As  the 
number  of  laborers  employed  by  these  societies  was 
less,  and  the  buildings  erected  by  them  were  far 
less  valuable  than  those  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  it  is 
probable  that  the  whole  amount  expended  by  them 


MR.    WILLIAMSON:  227 

was  less  tlian  S30,000;  but  counting  it  at  this,  the 
entire  cost  of  all  the  missions  to  the  Dakotas  is  less 
than  one-third  of  what  they  saved  the  Government 
in  the  single  item  of  removing  a  part  of  these  Indi- 
ans. Deducting  the  entire  cost  of  all  the  missions, 
$69,295  from  $210,000,  we  have  a  clear  gain  of 
$140,705,  which  is  a  net  pecuniary  gain  to  us. 

Since  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  Oregon, 
and  Montana,  our  people  have  so  intruded  on  the 
hunting-grounds  of  the  aborigines  in  every  part  of 
the  country  claimed  by  us,  that  they  can  no  longer 
sustain  themselves  by  the  chase.  Consequently  we 
must  feed  them,  or  they  must  starve,  or  live  by 
plunder,  or  by  cultivating  the  earth.  Heathen  Indi- 
ans will  not  live  by  cultivating  the  earth,  because  it 
is  contrary  to  the  religion  and  customs  of  their  an- 
cestors; and  in  their  estimation  wicked,  disgraceful 
and  dangerous.  Starving  is  very  uncomfortable  to 
them;  and  they  think  it  more  honorable  as  well  as 
comfortable,  to  get  food  for  their  wives  and  children 
by  taking  it  where  they  can  find  it.  They  say  with 
Koderick  Dhu :  — 

"  We  '11  spoil  the  spoiler  while  we  may, 
And  from  the  robber  rend  the  prey." 

Our  people  do  not  like  to  be  robbed;   nor  will 
they  tamely  submit  to  it;  consequently  much  blood 


228  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

has  been  shed,  and  much  ill-will  generated  on  both 
sides.  Our  armies  have  been  sent  to  punish  the 
savages  and  teach  them  better  manners.  Our  mili- 
tary officers,  who  have  been  commanded  to  do  this, 
have  found  it  very  expensive,  laborious  and  unpleas- 
ant business,  attended  with  little  success  and  bring- 
ing them  little  honor.  Desirous  of  being  relieved 
from  it,  they  have  made  the  calculation  and  demon- 
strated very  clearly  that  it  is  much  cheaper,  as  well 
as  more  humane,  to  feed  and  clothe  these  wild  men, 
than  to  fight  them;  and  as  far  as  the  experiment 
has  been  tried,  it  has  proved  much  more  effectual 
in  restraining  them  from  robbing  our  people.  Ac- 
cordingly arrangements  have  been  made  to  issue  to 
many  of  them  rations  of  flour  and  meat,  the  same 
as  are  issued  to  the  soldiers  of  our  army,  and  also, 
such  clothing  and  other  goods  as  it  is  supposed  they 
need.  The  past  summer  the  writer  visited  the 
Agencies  on  the  Missouri,  where  rations  were 
being  stored  for  feeding  some  15,000  heathen  Sioux 
or  Dakotas.  Major  Ilearns  at  Grand  Eiver,  who 
had  charge  of  much  the  largest  stock  of  food, —  one 
and  a  half  million  of  rations, —  said  the  daily  ration 
for  each  Indian  there  cost  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment about  thirty  cents,  or  one  hundred  and  nine 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  year.  In  addition  to  this, 
clothing,   agricultural   implements,   knives,  kettles 


MR.   WILLIAMSON.  229 

for  boiling  their  food,  tobacco  and  sundry  other 
articles  are  given,  the  value  of  which  we  did 
not  learn;  but  to  be  sure  to  keep  within  the 
amount,  we  will  count  it  at  only  one-fifth  as  much, 
and  say  that  it  costs  our  Government  one  hundred 
and  twenty  dollars  a  year  to  feed,  clothe,  and  thus 
restrain  each  of  these  Indians. 

In  the  year  1869,  it  cost  us  not  less  than  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  dollars  for  each  of  the  heathen 
Sioux  on  the  Missouri ;  which  for  2,200,  the  number 
in  charge  of  Dr.  J.W.  Daniels,  would  amount  to  S264,- 
000,  and  as  the  military  officers  who  know  best  about 
these  things  tell  us  that  it  costs  more  to  fight  than 
to  feed  those  Indians,  we  may  safely  multiply  this  by 
seven,  the  number  of  years  the  "Wahpeton  and  Sissi- 
ton  Sioux  have  been  supported  on  the  $120,000  with 
their  own  earnings,  and  we  have  $1,848,000  for  the 
cost  of  keeping  2,200  Sioux  for  seven  years,  as  they 
are  kept  on  the  Missouri.  Deducting  from  this  the 
amount  actually  expended  on  them,  $120,000,  and  we 
find  a  saving  of  $1,728,000.  How  is  this  to  be  ac- 
counted for?  These  Sioux,  or  Dakotas  as  they  call 
themselves,  are  all  of  one  tribe,  speak  the  same  lan- 
guage, and  thirty-five  years  ago,  were  all  equally 
savage  and  determined  not  to  work  for  a  living. 

How  is  it  that  it  now  costs  less  than  one  sixth  as 
much  to  keep  the  Wahpeton  as  a  like  number  of  the 


230  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Teton?  But  one  reason,  I  think,  can  be  assigned. 
In  July,  1835,  a  mission  was  commenced  among  the 
Wahpeton,  which  has  been  continued  to  the  present 
time.  We  now  count  more  than  two  hundred  and 
sixty  communicants  among  them,  exclusive  of  a 
larger  number  among  the  Santee  Sioux  on  the  Mis- 
souri. When  Dakota  men  became  Christians,  they 
engaged  in  farming,  and  as  the  prediction  that  they 
would  die  for  abandoning  the  customs  of  their  an- 
cestors was  not  fulfilled,  many  who  did  not  become 
Christians,  seeing  that  their  gods  did  not  destroy 
the  farmer  Indians  for  cultivating  the  earth,  fol- 
lowed their  example,  and  before  the  Indian  war  of 
1862,  many  of  the  Wahpeton  and  several  of  the 
Sissiton,  were  successfully  engaged  in  agriculture. 
In  this  war  the  Christian  Indians,  without  excep- 
tion, and  many,  perhaps  a  majority  of  those 
who  were  not  Christians,  were  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, befriended  the  whites ;  and  through  their 
assistance,  the  missionaries  and  employees  of 
Government,  who  otherwise  would  probably  have 
been  murdered,  made  their  escape.  Subse- 
quently they  rescued  three  hundred  women  and 
children  from  those  who  had  captured  them,  and 
delivered  them  to  Gen.  Sibley.  In  the  spring  of  1863 
those  Dakota  men  who  had  been  most  active  in 
befriending  us   in  the  war,  interposed  as  a  shield 


MR.    WILLIAMSON.  231 

between  the  frontiers  of  Minnesota  and  Iowa,  and 
the  hostile  Dakotas  who  had  made  war  and  com- 
mitted the  massacres.  The  military  oflScers  who 
had  charge  of  them  bear  testimony  to  their  courage, 
fidelity,  and  diligence  in  this  service.  From  the 
spring  of  1863,  when  they  were  first  employed,  to 
the  present  time,  very  few  of  the  hostile  Sioux  have 
ever  reached  the  settlements  of  Minnesota  and  Iowa. 
Less  than  a  dozen  persons  in  these  two  States  have 
been  murdered  by  them. 


TOPIC   V. 

OUR    INDEBTEDNESS    TO    MISSIONS 

FOR  THEIR  AID  TO  SCIENCE 

AND  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

SCIENCE  AND    LITERATURE    AS    PROMPTED     BY 
MISSIONS. 

Definition  of  Science  and  Literature— Relation 
OF  Science  to  Scripture  —  Obscurity  —  Rev.  E. 
Burgess  —  African  Illustration  —  Relation  of 
Missions  to  Philology,  Geography,  and  other 

Sciences. 


;CIENCE  relates  to  the  laws"  of  na- 
ture, and  to  knowledge  with  reference 
to  those  laws  in  their  different  de- 
velopments, classifications  and  departments. 
Literature  relates  to  the  expression  of 
knowledge,  or  of  mental  conceptions.  It 
comprehends  what  relates  to  truth,  style  and 
grace  in  composition.  It  pertains  not  only 
to  history,  reasoning  and  speculation,  but 
covers  the  domain  of  the  imagination  and  the 
taste . 


236  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Science  employs  the  judgment  and  reason- 
ing powers  mainly;  literature,  not  discard- 
ing these,  brings  into  exercise  the  taste, 
the  delicate  sense  of  fitness  and  beauty. 

The  sciences,  as  a  form  of  divine  revelation, 
are  monuments  of  God's  agency  in  creation, 
and  are  proofs  of  his  presence  and  permanent 
working  in  nature.  God  teaches  us  by  his 
works  as  well  as  by  his  word.  These  are 
indexes  of  his  thoughts  and  skill,  in  the 
order  and  grandeur  of  creation.  They  are 
records  of  the  power  and  benevolence  of  God 
in  the  past  and  present. 

The  sciences  bring  God  very  near  to  us. 
We  see  him  in  the  laws  and  forces  of  nature. 
We  see  his  plan,  his  wisdom  and  power. 
The  sciences  are  interpreters  of  the  divine 
wisdom  and  skill.  They  help  to  put  us  into 
the  Divine  presence  and  communion.  A 
reverent  study  of  the  sciences  favors  reli- 
gious character  and  development,  strengthens 
faith  and  the  affections.  I  refer  to  Kepler, 
Faraday,  and   Newton    as   illustrations.     A 


NATURE  OF  REVELATION.  237 

thoughtless  study  of  the  sciences,  an  irrever- 
ent reading  of  the  handwriting  of  God  in  his 
works,  tends  to  unbelief  and  moral  debase- 
ment. 

The  great  question  with  respect  to  an 
authenticated  revelation  is  the  question  of 
interpretation.  It  is  so  with  the  revelation 
of  science,  it  is  so  with  the  revelation 
of  Scripture.  Acknowledging  both  to  be 
from  God,  the  question  returns,  what  do 
they  teach?  What  interpretation  are  we  to 
put  upon  them?  If  both  are  from  God,  they 
will  certainly  harmonize,  if  rightly  inter- 
preted. 

In  neither  of  these  forms  of  revelation  are 
we  to  expect  immediate  and  positive  demon- 
stration. Moral  truth  is  not  usually  forced 
upon  us.  It  is  not  best  for  us  ordinarily  in 
matters  of  moral  influence,  to  be  dealt  with 
in  the  way  of  positive  demonstration.  The 
soul  upon  trial  in  the  discipline  of  trust,  is 
not  to  be  treated  peremptorily.  Truth  that 
relates  to  the  infinite,  to  moral  and  spiritual 


238  2HESE  FOR    THOSE. 

relations,  should  not  be  of  such  a  nature  or 
in  such  a  form  as  to  force  conviction,  or 
absolutely  to  exclude  doubt.  There  is  need 
here  for  the  exercise  of  the  voluntary  nature, 
for  the  play  of  free  and  rational  choice.  In 
the  written  revelation,  the  reason  is  not 
compelled  ;  the  truth  is  not  forced  upon  the 
convictions  as  it  is  in  mathematical  science. 
There  is  the  possibility  of  doubt  and  disbe- 
lief. The  will  is  not  put  into  subjection. 
There  is  room  for  the  exercise  of  the  reason 
and  voluntary  powers. 

It  is  so  to  some  extent  with  the  revelation 
given  us  in  nature.  "VYe  turn  the  leaves  of 
science,  and  read  with  a  rational,  perhaps 
doubting  eye.  Natural  science  does  not 
compel  conviction,  save  as  it  asserts  laws,  and 
claims  our  assent  to  facts  and  phenomena 
presented.  The  connection  of  these  laws 
and  facts  with  a  First  Cause  separate  from 
nature,  antecedent  to  nature,  and  independ- 
ent of  her  forces  and  order,  is  not  proved  in 
such  a  way  as  absolutely  to  compel  our  assent 


DOUBTS  POSSIBLE.  239 

to  the  truth.  We  are  not  forced  to  refer 
these  laws  and  facts  to  the  agency  of  a  per- 
sonal God.  There  are  doubters  here.  The 
fool  hath  said  in  his  heart,  there  is  no  God. 
The  "  wise  "  have  said  the  same.  The  link 
connecting  the  works  of  God  with  his  plan 
and  will  as  revealed  by  those  works,  with  the 
personal  agency  and  presence  of  God,  can 
be  broken.  It  has  often  been  broken.  It  is 
broken,  indeed,  with  sound  reason  and  evi- 
dence to  the  contrary,  but  broken.  Great 
minds  have  doubted  here,  and  great  minds 
are  as  liable  to  doubt,  perhaps,  as  feeble 
minds. 

The  forms  of  Divine  revelation  are  ad- 
dressed to  our  whole  nature  :  not  to  the  men- 
tal nature  exclusively,  but  to  the  moral  and 
voluntary  nature,  also.  There  is  room  here 
for  the  sentiment  of  reverence  and  the  exer- 
cise of  faith.  It  were  not  best  for  us  that 
God  should  so  speak  as  to  force  assent  and 
compel  the  convictions.  Truth  that  affects 
the  moral  nature  should  not  positively  ex- 


240  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

elude  the  working  of  reason  and  the  exercise 
of  the  voluntary  principle,  or  the  possibility 
of  doubt.  It  has  need  to  be  presented  with 
sufficient  evidence  to  convince  the  reason  and 
control  the  will.  But  in  a  state  of  trial  we 
have  need  of  the  doubtful  as  well  as  the 
definite.  We  need  the  difficult  not  less  than 
the  plain  and  positive !  Faith  rises  to  its 
exalted  heights  often  through  a  misty  path- 
way. We  need  the  obscure  as  well  as  the 
serene.  If  all  were  positive  and  absolute 
in  moral  agency,  where  were  the  proving? 
What  place  for  responsibility?  God  has 
dealt  with  us  wisely,  in  accordance  with 
our  moral  and  intellectual  nature,  in  the 
forms  of  revelation  and  degrees  of  evidence 
he  has  given  us. 

Science  relates  mostly  to  God's  natural 
attributes  and  works.  It  approaches  nearer 
to  positive  demonstration,  perhaps,  than  the 
written  revelation,  which  orbs  out  the  full 
perfection,  of  God,  and  addresses  the  entire 
nature  of  man.     God  has  left  us  to  make  our 


INTERPRETATION.  241 

way  through  the  mazes  of  truth  and  error,  of 
attraction  and  repulsion,  with  guides  that 
do  not  force  our  steps.  The  light  held  out 
to  us  does  not  constrain  our  vision.  Our 
eyes  we  may  close.  The  Divine  arrange- 
ments and  revelations  are  adapted  to  awaken 
the  spirit  of  submission,  of  intelligent  trust 
and  obedience. 

We  say  again,  the  great  question  pertain- 
ing to  a  revelation,  whether  of  Scripture  or 
science,  is.  What  does  it  teach  ?  "What  truths 
does  it  convey?  AYhat  interpretation  are  we 
to  put  upon  its  language?  The  conceit  of 
learning,  of  ignorance  rather,  leads  to  false 
interpretation,  wWch  tends  to  put  the  two 
revelations  into  conflict.  A  false  interpreta- 
tion of  science,  or  of  Scripture,  necessarily 
breaks  the  harmony  between  them,  and 
makes   against   morality  and  religion. 

The  most  fearful  opponent  to  Scripture 
in  modern  days,  is  incipient  or  skeptical 
science.  It  is  in  just  this  state  that  science 
becomes    most    confident,    assumptive    and 

16 


242  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

arrogant.  It  lias  germs  of  truth,  without 
their  grand  relations.  The  human  mind  is 
prone  to  be  restless,  speculative  and  dog- 
matic. And  there  is  often  the  pride  of  dis- 
covery, or  of  originality.  When  a  new 
science  is  slowly  revealed,  its  few  facts  are 
apt  to  turn  the  heads  of  men,  and  cause  them 
to  be  visionary,  or  to  run  wild.  These 
crude  facts  sometimes  appear  to  contradict 
the  Bible.  Thus  the  little  craft  of  the  newly 
trimmed  science  assumes  to  force  and  dash 
itself  against  the  pillars  and  monuments  of 
eternal  truth. 

It  is  here  that  foreign  missions  have 
helped  us,  in  the  accurate  knowledge  they 
have  brought  to  bear  upon  modern  science. 
Scattered  over  the  world  as  they  have  been, 
our  missionaries  have  had  opportunity  to  do 
something  valuable  in  the  way  of  giving 
breadth  and  accuracy  to  scientific  knowledge. 
They  have  mingled  with  the  different  races 
of  men ;  they  have  visited  the  different  con- 
tinents and  countries  of  the  world.     They 


MISSIOWARY  AID.  243 

have  been  able  to  see  the  effect  of  climate, 
the   elements,    the    customs   and   habits   of 
different  peoples,  upon  mental  and  physical 
development.     They  have  consequently  en- 
joyed  the    best    opportunities    possible   to 
judge  of  questions  relating  to  the  identity  of 
the  human  race,  the  antiquity  of  man,   the 
improbabilities  that  confront  the  "Develop- 
ment   theory,"    with    other   kindred  specu- 
lations,   started    by    modern    English    and 
German  theorists. 

I  have  noticed  with  interest  that  foreign 
missionaries  who  have  looked  into  theto 
questions  with  due  care  and  discrimination, 
have  found  least  difficulty  in  reconciling  the 
teachings  of  science  and  those  of  Scripture. 
The  wide  field  of  knowledge  that  has  opened 
before  them,  has  tended  to  bring  the  two 
great  revelations  into  adjustment  and  har- 
mony. 

The  late  Ebenezer  Burgess,  once  a  mission- 
ary in  India,  had  written  a  volume  upon  the    • 
Antiquity  of  Man.      My  intimate  acquaint- 


244  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

ance  with  this  lamented  brother  in  the 
Theological  Seminary  and  since,  together 
with  the  knowledge  I  have  of  the  researches 
and  arguments  brought  to  view  in  this 
volume  (not  yet  published) ,  prepares  me  to 
say  that  the  Christian  world,  not  less  than 
the  scientific,  will  read  the  work  with  great 
interest  and  profit.  It  deals  with  this  most 
difficult  subject  from  a  high,  moral  and  sci- 
entific standpoint.  It  is  handled  by  one  who 
has  been  from  the  first  a  lover  of  science,  and 
an  adept  in  its  laws.  It  is  written,  too,  by 
a  lover  of  revelation,  who  had  power,  intel- 
lectually and  morally,  to  discriminate  be- 
tween the  claims  of  science  and  those  of 
Scripture. 

The  subject  treated  is  one  of  special  inter- 
est to  the  Christian  public  at  the  present 
time.  It  cannot  be  investigated  satisfacto- 
rily by  men  of  science  merely,  who  have 
never  made  revelation  and  theology  a  study ; 
nor  can  it  be  handled  by  men  of  religious 
knowledge  simply,  who  have  not  a  thorough 


EEV.  E.  BURGESS.  245 

acquaintance   with    the    developments    and 
progress  of  science. 

Mr.  Burgess  was  distinguished  for  thor- 
ough scholarship,  not  less  than  for  a  deep 
reverence  for  the  Scriptures.  But  neither 
scholarship,  nor  veneration  for  Scripture,  nor 
these  united,  would  have  enabled  him  to 
write  this  volume.  It  required  another  ele- 
ment of  qualification, — the  knowledge  and 
experience  gotten  from  missionary  life,  and 
long  acquaintance  with  the  nations,  races 
and  languages  of  the  East. 

From  the  knowleda^e  I  have  of  the  work 
as  giv^en  me  by  the  author  while  living,  I 
should  regard  it  as  a  great  loss  to  the  Chris- 
tian world,  if  the  book  should  fail  of  publica- 
tion. If  the  author  had  lived  it  would 
probably  have  been  given  to  the  public 
before  this  time.  If  it  should  not  be  printed, 
the  manuscript  will  become  the  property  of 
some  public  library,  and  in  this  way,  the 
great  value  of  these  original  investigations 
concerning  the  antiquity  of  man,  and  the 
unity  of  the  race,  will  not  be  lost. 


246  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

If  the  reader  will  pardon  an  illustration  of 
the  subject  somewhat  opposite  to  the  one  just 
given,  and  bordering  a  little  on  the  ludicrous, 
but  showing  the  advantage  of  missionary 
eyes  abroad,  to  correct  errors  touching  the 
origiu  of  man,  I  will  jDrint  the  following 
fact,  which  I  received  from  the  lips  of  one 
of  our  African  missionaries.  It  was  reported 
in  this  country  a  few  years  ago,  and  accepted 
in  skeptical  circles,  that  a  race  of  men  had 
been  discovered  in  Africa  that  actually  out- 
vied the  monkey  in  the  matter  of  the  caudal 
attachment,  or  ^:>05^  appendage.  The  skep- 
tical and  those  most  susceptible  to  the  mar- 
vellous were  stirred.  The  question  began  to 
be  asked  contemptuously,  what  now  al)out 
your  Bible  theory  of  man?  And  Darwin, 
instead  of  Moses,  was  in  the  ascendant  with 
the  fast-thinkers  and  theorists  of  our  time. 

But  the  sharp  eyes  of  our  missionary,  who 
himself  had  seen  all  these  startling  phenom- 
ena, helped  to  settle  the  matter,  and,  I  think, 
to  the  satisfaction  of  science  and  the  skep- 


DELUSION  DISSIPATED.  247 

tics  at  last.  At  a  distance,  these  men 
seemed,  as  reported,  to  possess  a  superfluous 
appendix  or  suffix,  but  on  a  nearer  approach 
the  whole  was  ascertained  to  be  a  matter  of 
toilet  merely,  conformins:  to  the  extreme 
of  African  taste  or  fashion.  The  fortunate 
discovery  spoiled  a  bubble  on  the  surface 
of  superficial  philosophy  and  rampant  skep- 
ticism. 

The  investigations  made  by  our  foreign 
missionaries  have  assisted  largely  in  what 
relates  to  the  interpretation  of  Scripture  and 
of  the  ancient  lansruasres.  One  who  well 
knew  has  said,  that  "more  light  has  been 
thrown  upon  the  structure  of  language, 
especially  of  the  ancient  languages,  and  the 
laws  that  relate  to  the  interpretation  of  the 
Scriptures,  through  investigations  made  by 
forei2:n  missionaries,  than  from  all  other 
sources  put  together."  They  have  held  a 
standpoint  of  discovery  that  has  enabled 
them  to  do  this.  They  have  been  upon  the 
ground   where    the    Holy   Scriptures    were 


248  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

written.  They  are  familiar  with  the  customs 
and  manners,  styles  and  traditions  of  the 
Eastern  nations.  And  these  have  not  much 
changed  since  the  Scriptures  were  written. 
They  have  mastered  the  ancient  languages, 
kindred  to  those  in  which  the  Bible  was 
originally  written.  They  have  made  thor- 
ough researches  in  those  lands  referred  to  in 
the  Bible.  They  have  come  into  possession 
of  a  world  of  knowledge  that  has  value  in 
the  work  of  interpreting  and  translating  the 
Scriptures.  The  foreign  missionary  goes 
forth  to  his  work,  the  salvation  of  the  world, 
with  an  undeviating  step.  He  does  not  for- 
get his  great  errand,  to  publish  the  gospel, 
and  make  Christ  known  to  men.  But  he 
carries  into  this  work  an  open  eycj  and  comes 
at  length  to  have  a  practised  eye.  He  car- 
ries into  it  a  cultivated  intellect,  prepared  to 
read  the  various  literatures,  the  discrepant 
traditions,  the  dark  mj^hologies,  hiero- 
glyphics and  symbols  that  abound  in  the 
nations    and    languages     of     olden    times, 


DR.    THOMPSON.  249 

arouud  whose  history  such  sacred  associa- 
tions gather. 

Look  at  the  recent  work  of  Dr.  William 
M.  Thompson,  missionary  at  Beirut,  styled, 
"The  Land  and  the  Book."  Who  could 
have  written  that  book  but  a  foreign  mission- 
ary ?  It  required  a  life  of  familiar  acquaint- 
ance with  those  nations,  languages  and 
scenes,  such  as  give  to  the  work  its  marvel- 
lous interest.  By  reason  of  these  labors, 
the  Bible  is  now  read  with  new  interest. 
Light  is  thrown  upon  many  an  obscure 
passage.  Things  that  seemed  difficult  and 
mysterious  are  now  clear  and  attractive. 
The  reader  enjoys  in  that  book  half  the 
pleasure  of  an  actual  survey  of  the  scenes 
themselves.  The  descriptions  are  life-like, 
so  that  one  scarcely  needs  the  help  of  the 
eye  to  make  them  real  to  himself. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  go  into  particulars 
with  reference  to  works  written  by  our 
missionaries.  I  make  this  one  point,  about 
which    these    barely  indexical    illustrations 


250  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

gather,  which  is  this  :  the  researches  and 
discoveries  made  by  missionaries  abroad, 
which  have  thrown  light  upon  science  and 
the  interpretation  of  Scripture,  have  had  the 
effect  of  bringing  these  into  a  more  positive 
and  beautiful  harmony. 

I  will  refer  now  to  researches  made  in  the 
Holy  Land,  years  ago,  by  Dr.  Robinson. 
These  have  great  value  with  regard  to  geog- 
raphy, antiquity  and  archaeology  relating  to 
Palestine  and  other  ancient  places ;  as  also 
in  regard  to  the  interpretation  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  The  debt  the  Christian  world 
owes  to  that  great  work  is  acknowledged  by 
every  intelligent  reader.  The  world  of  sci- 
ence and  of  letters  is  greatly  indebted  to 
this  work  of  original  research  and  discovery. 

But  Dr.  Robinson  v/as  dependent  on  mis- 
sionaries in  the  East  for  assistance  in  his 
work.  He  could  not  have  prosecuted  his 
researches  advantageously  if  it  had  not  been 
for  their  presence,  their  scholarship  and  per- 
sonal aid.     They  knew  many  times  as  much 


DR.  ROBINSON.  251 

about  the  Holy  Land,  and  matters  concerning 
which  he  had  need  to  know,  as  the  learned 
Doctor  himself,  at  the  outset.  They  were 
eyes  and  ears  for  him;  they  were  his 
interpreters,  not  only  in  .point  of  language, 
but  in  the  great  matters  concerning  which  he 
had  need  to  learn.-  They  led  him  into  fields 
of  curious  knowledge,  which  he  has  so  faith- 
fully described.  Drs.  Smith,  Riggs,  Thomp- 
son and  others  went  with  him  in  turn  from 
place  to  place,  and  directed  his  inquiries 
and  lent  him  their  aid. 

Some  of  these  men  were  as  capable  of 
doing  this  great  work  as  was  Dr.  Robinson 
himself, — as  Dr.  Thompson,  missionary  at 
Beirut,  has  proved  in  his  own  more  recent 
and  attractive  volume.  In  thq,  long  period 
of  their  lives,  as  a  matter  of  relaxation  and 
recuperation,  they  have  found  time  to  assist 
in  these  researches,  and  occasionally  to  make 
original  investigations  themselves  as  touch- 
ing geography,  history  and  the  antiquities 
of  that  part  of  the  world. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

RESEAECHES   IN   GEOGRAPHY  AND   OTHER 
SCIENCES. 

Testimony  of  Dr.  Hamlin  —  Missionary  Explorers 
—  Their  Labors  compared  with  other  Explor- 
ers —  Geographical  Researches  in  China  — 
Japan  and  the  Indian  Islands — In  Africa  — 
Islands  of  the  Pacific  —  Indian  Territories. 


iEV.  Ctrus  Hamlin,  D.  D.,  Presi- 
dent of  Robert  College  at  Constanti- 
nople, a  reviewer  of  Dr.  Robinson, 
says :  "  Geography  and  philology  are 
largely  missionary  sciences.  So  is  a  great 
deal  of  history.  We  should  know  much  less 
of  the  origin  of  the  Greek  philosophy,  of 
Plato  and  of  Aristotle,  of  Gnosticism,  Par- 
seeism,  Brahminism,  Buddhism  and  the  like, 
were  it  not  for  the  missionary  work  in  the 
East." 


FIRST  WORK,  253 

When  we  send  missionaries  to  a  new  field, 
their  first  work  is  that  of  exploration.  They 
are  instructed  to  make  a  general  geograph- 
ical survey  of  the  country,  or  of  the  parts  of 
it  to  which  they  are  sent.  It  is  necessary  to 
obtain  some  knowledge  of  the  people,  their 
location,  and  connection  with  other  commu- 
nities. Knowledge  has  need  to  be  gained 
of  their  traditions  and  habits,  government 
and  social  relations,  the  face  of  the  country, 
and  of  its  various  capabilities.  Such  explo- 
ration is  not  always  extended  to  every  por- 
tion of  these  countries.  But  as  the  people 
are  to  be  redeemed  from  barbarism,  and 
brought  into  a  state  of  Christian  enlighten- 
ment and  civilization  by  missionary  labor, 
it  is  important  that  some  general  knowledge 
of  them  in  these  respects  should  be  gained 
at  the  outset.  This  is  necessary  in  order 
that  the  mission  may  be  properly  located 
and  organized,  and  the  best  plan  of  opera- 
tions be  formed. 

The  knowledge  of  the  geography   of  the 


254  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

world  has  been  obtained  very  largely  from 
foreign  missionaries.     The  facts  brought  to 
light    by    commerce    and    navigation    hav^e 
been  limited  mainly  to  the  waters  and  coasts, 
to  Yv^hich  these  have  been   mostly  confined. 
The    knowledge    added   to   the    science    of 
geography,  from  travellers  and  adventurers, 
is,   to    a    large    extent,    unreliable.      They 
are   tempted   to   exaggerate,   and  substitute 
dreams  of  the  fancy  for   facts   obtained  by 
patient  toil.     It  is  admitted  by  the  greatest 
geographers  that  information  obtained  from 
foreisrn  missionaries  with  res^ard  to  the  sur- 
face  of  the  earth  and  the  diiierent  races  of 
men,  is  far  more  complete  and  useful  than 
that    obtained   from    other    sources.       Our 
missionaries  go  beyond  the  bounds  of  civil- 
ization, usually,  to  nations  and  tribes   that 
are  comparatively  very  little  known  to  the 
world.     We   are   thus   greatly   indebted   to 
these  explorers  who  go  abroad  as  mission- 
aries, for  the  knowledge  we  have  of  a  large 
part  of  the  uncivilized  world. 


NEW  HEAVENS  AND  EARTH,  255 

•  Surely  if  religion,  with  science  her  hand- 
maid, is  to  aid  in  giving  us  a  new  heavens  and 
a  new  earth,  to  he  the  abode  of  righteous- 
ness, the  foreign  missionary  enterprise  comes 
in  as  auxiliary  in  this  final  work.  Yv^ith 
stations  on  nearly  every  coast  and  in  every 
quarter  of  the  globe,  in  opposite  hemispheres 
and  zones,  and  under  all  heavens  ;  possessing 
thus  a  standpoint  or  high  vantage-ground  for 
observation,  research  and  physical  knowl- 
edge, the  missionaries  of  the  cross  hold  a 
position  that  enables  them  to  hasten  onward 
this  grand  result.  They  carry  in  their  hands 
the  lamps  of  science  and  research  as  they  go 
upon  errands  of  mercy  to  men.  And  when 
the  sciences  that  relate  to  the  heavens  and 
the  earth  are  complete,  these  heavens  and 
this  earth  will  be  in  some  sense  new.  And 
when  the  dwellers  upon  earth  shall  have 
learned  God's  law  and  grace  as  supplemental 
not  only  to  natural  and  scientific  law,  but  as 
crowning  all  material  laws,  then  will  this 
prophecy  be  completed  in  its  broadest  sense, 


256  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

and  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  spiritual  and 
temporal,  will  be  new. 

The  knowledge  of  astromony,  as  well  as 
of  geography,  has  been  of  great  use  to  our 
missionaries  in  their  work,  in  demonstrating 
to  the  heathen  the  absurdity  of  their  systems 
of  religion,  as  also  the  falsehood  of  their 
sacred  books,  of  their  priests  and  systems  of 
philosophy. 

Our  missionaries  have  given  us  the  most 
reliable  account  we  have  of  the  Empire  of 
China,  of  its  geography,  form  of  government, 
various  philosophies  and  religion,  its  strange 
language  and  dialects,  its  coasts,  islands, 
rivers,  cities  and  grand  physical  features,  and 
through  a  very  large  extent  of  the  Em- 
pire. This  quarter  of  the  globe  has  thus 
been  opened  up  to  the  view  of  the  civilized 
world,  and  mainly  through  the  explorations 
of  these  men.  Historians  and  geogi-aphers 
are  largely  indebted  to  them  for  the  informa- 
tion they  have  thus  given  the  world.  Con- 
tributions of  great  value  to  science  are  con- 


EMPIBE  OF  JAPAN,  257 

tinually  coming  to  our  knowledge  from  this 
source  :  the  fact  that  gives  this  knowledge 
special  value  is,  it  can  be  trusted !  It  is 
accurate,  reliable   and  accumulative. 

The  same  is  beginning  to  be  true  of  the 
Empire  of  Japan.  Less  was  known  of  this 
people  twenty  years  ago,  than  of  almost  any 
other  nation  on  earth.  They  are  an  exclusive 
nation,  insulated  in  their  position,  off  from 
the  great  pathway  of  commerce, — refusing 
commercial  and  diplomatic  relations,  to  a 
large  extent,  with  the  rest  of  the  world.  Very 
little  was  known  of  them  till  recently ;  the 
knowledge  that  has  come  to  us  of  this  empire 
has  been  in  part  from  the  pens  of  missionaries. 
They  have  told  us  of  the  people,  of  the  novel 
structure  of  their  duplicate  government,  the 
grandeur  of  their  cities,  the  general  features 
of  the  country,  and  the  characteristics  of  the 
population.  Such  knowledge  is  all  the  more 
important  to  us,  as  we  are  coming  into  more 
immediate  relations  to  that  people.  They  are 
to  be  our  neighbors  on  the  west,  an  ocean 
swiftly  crossed  l^y  steamers  only  intervening. 

17 


258  THESE  FOR  THOSE, 

The  same  general  facts  hold  true  with 
regard  to  the  East  Indian  Islands.  Mission- 
ary labor  has  been  attempted  there ;  con- 
siderable knowledge  has  been  gained  of  those 
vast  Islands,  and  of  the  barbarous  peoples 
that  inhabit  them.  That  knowledge  will 
be  enlarged  from  the  same  sources,  and 
will  become  more  and  more  valuable  as 
these  islands  are  brought  into  the  track  of 
commerce  and  into  the  pathway  of  civilized 
nations. 

It  was  not  the  policy  of  the  East  India 
Company  that  controlled  India  and  parts  of 
Burmah  for  ages,  to  give  the  world  much 
knowledge  with  regard  to  those  countries. 
It  was  for  their  interest  to  keep  the  nations 
in  comparative  .  ignorance  with  respect  to 
them.  Their  rich  possessions  were  thus 
rendered  more  safe, —  so  it  was  supposed. 
It  was  not  until  those  countries  were  visited 
by  foreign  missionaries,  that  the  world  had 
much  reliable  knowledge  of  them.  The 
Judsons  and  Boardmans,  with  their  co-labor- 


EMPIRE  OF  INDIA.  259 

ers,  have  told  us  nearly  all  we  know  of  Bur- 
mah,  its  geography  and  v^ci'ence,  manners 
and  peoples.  Almost  nothing  is  known  of 
Ceylon,  save  what  the  missionaries  have  told 
us, — Poor,  Spaulding,  Scudder  and  others. 
And  as  we  go  out  upon  the  great  Empire  of 
India,  with  its  two  hundred  millions  of 
inhabitants,  we  step  upon  terra  incognita y 
as  it  were,  save  as  we  learn  about  it  from 
the  reports  and  journals  of  foreign  missiona- 
ries. There  are  probably  some  ^yq  hundred 
of  these  in  all,  laboring  in  that  vast  empire. 
Some  twenty-five  difierent  societies  have 
missionaries  there.  They  are  scattered  along 
the  whole  circumference  of  the  land.  We 
find  them  on  the  sea  of  Arabia,  from  the 
most  southern  Cape  of  Comorin  to  the  great 
mountain  passes  north ;  thence  under  the 
shadow  of  the  dark  Himalayas  that  prop  the 
heavens  ;  and  eastward  along  the  great  river, 
down  to  Calcutta ;  and  thence  along  the  shore 
to  Madras,  and  the  Archipelago  of  Ceylon. 
There    are    interior    establishments,    as    at 


260  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Madura  and  regions  contiguous,  at  Ahmed- 
nuggur  and  places  around.  Thus  the 
geography  and  natural  history  of  these 
regions  are  known  to  us.  Missions  have 
been  established  there  for  many  years.  The 
civilization  of  India  has  been  greatly  ad- 
vanced by  them,  and  through  the  policy  of 
the  English  Government,  which  has  been 
essentially  modified  and  improved  by  these 
extended  missionary  operations,  these  facts 
have  now  become  a  part  of  the  world's 
knowledge.  What  would  be  known  of  the 
geography  of  India,  if  Buchanan  and  others 
like  him  had  not  traveled  in  that  vast 
country,  and  given  to  us  the  results  of  their 
researches  ? 

How  greatly  are  we  indebted  to  the  labors 
and  writings  of  Gary,  of  Swartz,  Duff, 
Allen,  Burgess,  with  a  score  of  others, 
whose  names  I  have  no  need  to  mention, 
for  valuable  knowledge  with  respect  to  the 
Empires  of  India;  their  history,  antiquities, 
geographical  features ;  manners  and  customs 


TURKISH  EMPIRE.  261 

of  the  people ;  mountains,  waters,  soils  and 
vegetable  growths? 

But  we  come  nearer  home,  to  the  Turkish 
Empire, —  including  Palestine  and  Egypt. 
Who  has  made  the  most  accurate  investiga- 
tions in  Egypt,  and  up  the  Nile  ;  among  the 
monuments,  hieroglyphics  and  mysteries  of 
that  once  proud  land  ?  We  know  more  con- 
cerning the  different  nationalities  that  have 
been  thrown  together  in  that  one  corner  of 
Asia,  speaking  as  many  different  languages, 
having  their  literature  mostly  in  ancient 
tongues  that  have  ceased  to  be  spoken,  from 
foreign  missionaries,  than  from  all  other 
sources  !  Their  contributions  to  Bible  creos:- 
raphy  and  general  science  are  invaluable. 
No  countries  visited  by  missionaries  have 
been  more  fully  explored  than  these.  The 
mountains  have  been  crossed  and  recrossed. 
The  vast  plains  and  deserts  have  b6en 
traversed  in  many  directions,  —  even  the 
recesses  of  the  Koordish  mountains  have 
been   penetrated,    and  all  that  wild  region 


262  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

disclosed.  So  with  the  Nestorian  field,  its 
contiguous  lake  and  mountain;  of  the  As- 
syrian field,  its  rivers,  deserts,  sites  of  vast 
cities  and  ancient  ruins  ;  also  the  cold  regions 
of  Ararat,  Upper  Euphrates,  and  Eastern 
Turkey,  embracing  the  ancient  Garden  of 
Eden.  That  whole  empire  has  come  out  to 
the  view  of  the  civilized  world  through 
explorations  made  by  missionaries.  Y/hat 
interest  the  journal  of  Dr.  Grant  has  thrown 
around  the  Koordish  people  and  their  moun- 
tain home ;  also  the  Life  of  Mr.  Rhea,  and 
the  writings  of  Perkins,  Stoddard  and  others 
in  the  Nestorian  field,  of  D wight  and  Hamlin, 
Goodell  and  Thompson,  Smith  and  others,  in 
the  western  part  of  the  Empire !  Cities, 
islands,  mountains  and  sacred  places  are 
shown  to  us  for  the  first  time  as  they  exist 
and  have  existed. 

We  pass  round  to  Africa.  But  little  was 
known  of  this  continent  till  within  the  last 
half-century,  or  till  missionaries  were  sent 
there.     The  continent  has  been  a  good  deal 


AFRICA.  263 

explored  since,  and  mostly  by  foreign  mis- 
sionaries. In  the  west,  it  has  been  done  by 
those  connected  with  the  Colonies,  and  such 
as  have  gone  out  thence  to  contiguous  and 
interior  tribes ;  also  by  missionaries  on  the 
coast  not  connected  with  the  Colonies.  In 
the  south  and  southeast,  there  are  now  more 
than  two  hundred  missionaries  in  the  field. 
Some  of  them,  like  Dr.  Mofikt,  have  been 
there  half  a  century.  Several  in  the  Zulu 
field  have  been  there  more  than  thirty  years. 
They  have  been  driven  about  from  place  to 
place,  from  the  interior  to  the  coast,  over 
mountains  and  wastes,  till  their  knowledge 
of  those  Kaffir  tribes,  and  of  the  geography 
of  that  part  of  the  continent,  has  become 
extensive  and  accurate. 

Contemplate  the  travels  and  explorations 
of  Dr.  Livingstone,  who  was  sent  out  to 
Africa  hj  the  London  Missionary  Society. 
He  began  his  tours  from  the  Kaffir  field 
where  he  was  located,  and  has  travelled  east 
and  west,  from  coast  to  coast,  bearing  north- 


264  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

ward,  taking  the  survey  of  rivers,  moun- 
tains, lakes  and  countries  over  which  he 
passed,  till  he  has  reached,  as  he  judges, 
the  sources  of  the  Nile.  No  traveller  has 
contributed  more  to  geographical  science,  to 
say  nothing  of  other  valuable  knowledge, 
than  Dr.  Livingstone,  the  Kaffir  missionary. 
Turn  to  the  Islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  : 
the  Hawaiian,  the  South  Sea,  and  remote 
Micronesian.  Not  much  is  known  of  these 
islands  beyond  the  discoveries  made  by  mis- 
sionaries. They  have  given  us  about  all  the 
geographical  knowledge  we  have  of  them,  of 
their  mountains  and  volcanoes,  productions 
and  inhabitants,  climate  and  soil,  as  we  shall 
soon  show.  The  same  is  true  of  the  Mar- 
quesas Group,  of  the  Friendly  and  Society 
Islands,  and  of  those  distant  western  isles, 
M.vay  in  the  meridian  where  longitude  com- 
mences, and  west  becomes  east.  The  islands 
of  the  Pacific,  that  once  seemed  almost  out  of 
the  world,  have  now  a  special  importance  and 
proximity  to  us,  as   being   upon   the   great 


THE  ABORIGINES.  265 

highway  of  the  nations.  All  accurate  knowl- 
edge with  respect  to  them  and  their  inhab- 
itants, is  of  special  value  to  the  civilized 
world,  particularly  to  us. 

Missionary  operations,  under  different 
Boards,  have  been  carried  on  among  the 
aborigines  of  this  continent,  both  east  and 
west  of  the  Kocky  Mountains.  The  knowl- 
edge thus  obtained  of  the  territory  occupied 
by  these  Indians,  has  been  of  the  greatest 
value  to  the  white  settlers  that  have  occupied 
their  lands,  as  the  tribes  have  receded  by  con- 
quest or  treaty  to  new  territories.  It  has 
been  of  use  to  the  government,  as  also  in 
the  management  of  our  Indian  affairs.  The 
knowledge  gained  of  our  western  frontier,  of 
its  rivers,  mountains  and  prairies,  and  of  the 
character  of  the  red  men  that  once  possessed 
them,  and  obtained  their  scanty  living  from 
them,  enters  into  our  early  records  and 
archives.  It  is  a  valuable  contribution  to 
geographical,  as  well  as  to  other  knowledge. 

I  have  but  indicated  these  facts,  ):)ut  enough 


266  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

has  been  said  to  show  that  in  the  field 
of  knowledge  relating  to  geography,  with 
kindred  topics,  our  foreign  missionaries  have 
been  of  great  service  to  the  civilized  and 
scientific  world. 

Very  much  of  this  kind  of  knowledge, 
communicated  by  foreign  missionaries,  has 
been  given  out  orally,  or  in  unpublished 
letters  and  writings.  It  has  not  been  em- 
bodied always  in  scientific  treatises,  so  that 
reference  cannot  be  made  to  it  in  definite 
form  in  all  cases.  And  yet  it  has  value. 
It  enlightens  the  public  mind.  It  is  widely 
diffused,  and  enters  into  the  staple  of  the 
public  thinking  and  of  popular  knowledge. 
And  yet  very  much  of  it  is  in  a  tangible  and 
useful  form  in  our  public  libraries. 


CHAPTER   XVn. 

FURTHER   CONTRIBUTIONS   TO    SCIENCE. 

Thanks  op  Herschel  to  our  Missionary  —  Silli- 
man's  Journal  —  Reference  to  Champion  —  Tes- 
timony OF  COLBURN — WiNSLOWS. 

pi 

f  HE  simple  facts  of  science  that  seem 
of  little  value  to  the  casual  reader, 
often  are  of  the  greatest  value  to  sci- 
entific men.  The  history  of  comparative 
botany,  geology  and  mineralogy  dates  back 
to  the  missionary  era.  It  would  take  vol- 
umes to  embody  the  facts  brought  out  to 
notice  from  this  source.  Meteorology  and 
experimental  astronomy  are  greatly  indebted 
to  observations  made  on  missionary  ground. 
I  have  seen  a  letter  from  the  celebrated 
astronomer,  Herschel,  expressing  thanks  to 


268  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

a  missionary  in  Persia,  Rev.  D.  T.  Stoddard, 
for  important  meteorological  discoveries.  He 
pledged  to  IMr.  Stoddard  a  vote  of  thanks 
from  the  Royal  Society. 

We  have,  in  SUliman^s  Journal,  a  descrip- 
tion of  a  collection  of  geological  specimens 
from  Egypt  and  Syria,  presented  by  a  mis- 
sionary at  Beirut.  The  same  journal  speaks 
of  collections  of  rare  and  hitherto  unknown 
minerals  forwarded  by  a  missionary  in  Greece. 

The  lamented  Champion  wrote  an  article 
in  that  journal,  of  great  value,  upon  the  bot- 
any and  geology  of  the  region  around  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  This  journal  speaks 
of  a  large  collection  of  bones  sent  by  a  mis- 
sionary in  New  Zealand  to  a  geologist  in  New 
England.  Some  of  these  were  remains  of 
gigantic  birds,  which  are  supposed  to  have 
flown  in  the  air  and  waded  in  the  waters  of 
the  pre-adamic  earth.  Most  of  these  bones 
belong  to  extinct  species  of  animals,  hitherto 
unknown  to  scientific  men.  This  missionary 
gives  an  account,  also,  of  the  general  geo- 
logical aspect  of  New  Zealand. 


CARL  BITTER.  269 

Our  knowledge  of  the  Esquimaux  of  the 
North,  and  the  native  Greenlanders,  is  de- 
rived mostly  from  the  early  Moravian  mis- 
sionaries. Says  Colburn,  in  a  most  interest- 
ing paper  upon  this  subject,  "But  for  re- 
searches of  missionaries,  the  whole  penin- 
sula of  Farther  India  would  be  in  great  part 
a  terra  incognita,''  Gobat,  Krapf,  Izenberg, 
and  Eedmann  have  increased  our  knowledge 
of  Abyssinia  and  the  more  southern  coun- 
tries of  Asia. 

CarlEitter,  the  prince  of  geographers,  who, 
as  he  acknowledges,  could  not  have  written 
those  vast  works  like  the  Erdkunde,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  foreign  missions,  says  :  "  Their 
communications,  diffused  through  essays, 
quarterlies  and  various  other  publications, 
taking  wings  in  the  way  of  illustrations,  by 
orators  and  historians,  in  imagery  used  by 
poets  and  literary  writers,  have  become  a 
part  of  the  world's  knowledge.  The  psy- 
chologist thus  determines  conditions  under 
which   the   mind    can    develop  the   strange 


270  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

notions  prevalent  among  the  nations  :  the 
ethnologist  discovers  in  these  facts  how  to 
account  for  the  changes  wrought  in  the  type 
of  diiferent  races  by  change  of  circumstance, 
climate   and  condition." 

In  the  department  of  archaeology  and  of 
antiquity,  as  connected  with  monuments, 
hieroglyphics  and  inscriptions  found  in 
exhumed  cities,  missionaries  have  rendered 
essential  service  to  literature.  In  one  of  the 
halls  of  Bowdoin  College  are  large  slabs  from 
the  ruins  of  Mneveh,  furnished  by  a  late 
missionary  at  Mosul,  Eev.  II.  B.  Haskell, 
M.  D.,  covered  with  inscriptions  in  the 
strange  language  (Assyrian)  spoken  at  an 
early  period  in  the  East.  Some  of  these  in- 
scriptions are  of  use  in  a  historical  point  of 
view,  others  as  confirming  the  truth  of  Scrip- 
ture. Some  of  them  are  valuable  as  identi- 
fying localities,  —  and  all  of  them  in  showing 
the  state  of  the  language,  customs  and  man- 
ners of  these  people  when  such  mystic 
records  were  made. 


MISSIONARY  WORKS,  271 

Rev.  Miron  Winslow,  long  a  missionary  in 
India,  prepared  the  great  Tamil  and  English 
dictionary,     Eev.  Dr.  Spaulding,  of  Ceylon, 
compiled  an   English  and  Tamil   dictionary. 
Dr.  Mullens,  in  his  work  on  the  Yedas,  opens 
to  the  Ensrlish  scholar  the  learniniy  and  re- 
lis^ion   contained   in   the    Hindoo    Shasters. 
The  ori2:inal  Sanscrit  in  which  those  Shasters 
were  written,  embodying  their  false  notions 
of  astronomy,  geography    and  science  gen- 
erally,   they  have   translated   into   English, 
with  much  of  the  beautiful  poetry  in  the  old 
Hindoo  literature.      These  works,  in  which 
Burgess  had  a  useful  part,  have  enriched  our 
literature,  and  widened  the  field  of  curious 
knowledge.     The  translation  of  the  Hindoo 
books  of  astronomy  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hois- 
ington,    missionary   in   India,   has  value   in 
scientific   circles,    as    showing     the    curious 
methods   of  the  orientals   in  solving  mathe- 
matical and  astronomical  problems. 

The   works    above   alluded   to,  with   that 
of  IVIr.  Ward,  a  Baptist  missionarj-  in  India, 


272  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

are  found  in  our  best  college  libraries,  and 
have  become  a  part  of  our  permanent  litera- 
ture. 

In  the  department  of  philology,  to  which 
reference  has  been  made,  valuable  helps 
have  come  from  missionaries.  Mr.  Bryant, 
late  missionary  in  South  Africa,  had  an 
article  in  the  "Journal  of  the  American 
Oriental  Society,"  upon  the  Zulu  language. 
There  is  another  from  Rev.  L.  Grout  upon 
the  languages  of  South  Africa;  another 
from  Mr.  Wilson  of  the  Gaboon,  upon  the 
languages  of  Western  Africa.  These  papers 
have  value  in  the  light  they  throw  upon  com- 
parative philology.  They  go  into  the  origin 
of  the  tribes,  points  of  resemblance  and  differ- 
ence, discuss  the  effect  of  habit,  climate  and 
other  causes  upon  tribal  development  and 
difference.  They  show  where,  when  and 
how  they  came  to  diverge.  "There  is  a 
great  field  of  time  which  may  be  properly 
called  the  ante-historic  period,"  says  Col- 
burn,  "and  it  is  the  province   of  ethnology 


VALUABLE  PAPERS,  27 S 

to  follow  indications  afforded  by  accumu- 
lated facts  from  observation  and  science, 
into  this  dark  realm  where  both  history  and 
tradition  are  silent.  The  study  of  the  San- 
scrit, in  connection  with  other  languages, 
has  shown  conclusively  that  the  Grecian, 
Germanic  and  Scandinavian  peoples  belong 
to  the  same  family  with  the  early  possessors 
of  India;  and  a  comparison  of  words,  in 
their  variations  from  the  ground-forms, 
shows  the  relative  periods  when  these  tribes 
separated  from  the  parent  stock.  The 
museums  connected  with  the  different  mis- 
sionary rooms  and  elsewhere  are  in  them- 
selves an  encyclopedia  of  instruction  upon 
the  arts  and  customs  of  savage  nations." 

Examine  the  collections  found  in  the 
museums  of  our  Colleges  and  Theological 
Seminaries,  and  you  will  find  that  they 
are  furnished  in  large  part  by  foreign  mis- 
sionaries, thus  enriching  greatly  the  sciences 
of  mineralogy,  zoology,  geology,  botany, 
conchology,  metallurgy    and  the  like. 

18 


274  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

At  the  different  missionary  stations  abroad, 
as  was  indicated,  accurate  meteorological  ta- 
bles are  kept,  recording  the  observations  made 
regularly  every  day  for  a  considerable  period 
of  time,  which  gives  essential  aid  to  general 
science. 

Our  missionaries  in  the  Pacific  are  thought 
to  have  demonstrated  that  those  thousands 
of  islands  were  once  settled  by  men  of  a 
common  origin.  So  the  original  seed,  or 
parent  stock,  is  satisfactorily  ascertained. 
How  came  they  to  this  result  ?  By  reducing 
those  many  languages  to  form,  and  bringing 
them  within  the  range  of  philosophical  inves- 
tigation and  classification. 

The  Ethnological  Society  in  New  York 
rarely  holds  a  meeting  when  papers  from 
missionaries  on  this  topic  are  not  read.  At 
one  meeting,  a  fourth  part  of  the  time,  it  is 
said,  was  thus  taken  up.     At  another,  half  a 

dozen  documents  were  reported  from  foreign 

missionaries. 

**  Mssionaries  have  furnished  the  means," 


DIFFERENT  TONGUES.  275 

says  one,  "that  enable  the  German  in  his 
closet  to  compare  more  than  two  hundred 
lancfuas^es  with  one  another.  He  has  at  his 
command  the  almost  unpronounceable  words 
in  which  Eliot  preached,  the  monosyllables 
of  China,  the  lordly  Sanscrit,  the  multifari- 
ous dialects  of  modern  India,  the  smooth 
languages  of  the  South  Sea  Islands,  musical 
dialects  of  the  African  tribes,  and  harsh 
gutturals  of  the  American  Indians,  and  of 
various  other  oriental  peoples.  With  such 
materials  at  hand,  he  can  trace  out  the  gen- 
eral law  that  underlies  all  languages,  as  well 
as  point  out  the  specific  principles  in  each." 
"In  the  poetry  and  philosophy  of  those 
far-off  periods,  may  be  seen  the  ideas  that 
are  brought  forth  with  so  much  blowing  of 
trumpets  in  our  day.  They  were  as  familiar 
as  household  words  to  men  who  lived  before 
Agamemnon,  and  who  grappled  with  the 
gigantic  conceptions  of  oriental  antiquity. 
The  sickly  sentimentalism  or  pale  pantheism 
of  an  Emerson  and  those  who  ape  him,  is  but 


276  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

as  the  varnished  playthings  of  a  child  beside 
the  somber  majesty  of  the  pyramids,  when 
compared  with  the  stern,  stately,  terrible 
pantheism  of  Sanscrit  philosophy,"  into  the 
secrets  of  which  our  Christian  teachers  of 
India  have  led  us,  and  the  folly  of  which 
have  helped  to  demonstrate. 


CHAPTER    XVm. 

DISCOVERIES   IN   THE     SANDWICH    ISLANDS    BY 
MISSIONARIES. 

The  High  and  Low  Islands  —  Prof.  Silliman  — 
Records  from  his  Journal  —  Cape  of  Good 
Hope— Rev.  D.  T.  Stoddard  — Dr.  Smith  — 
Dr.  Beadle  —  Dr.  Wolcott. 


HE  Sandwich  Islands,  it  is  now  well 
known,  are  of  volcanic  origin.  The 
same  is  probably  true  of  all  the  ele- 
vated islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  In  fact, 
the  islands  of  that  great  expanse  of  waters, 
covering  nearly,  half  the  globe,  have  their 
orisrin  either  from  the  force  of  volcanic  fires 
lifting  them  up  from  the  deep,  or  in  the 
action  of  the  zoophytes  building  them  up 
slowly  from  the  same.  The  latter  class  of 
islands  in  the  central  Pacific,  called  the  Low 


278  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Islands,  constructed  by  these  little  coral 
architects,  raise  themselves  but  a  few  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

The  true  theory  of  the  coral  islands  has  been 
furnished  or  corroborated  to  the  scientific 
world  by  the  observation  of  missionaries. 
Coan,  the  Gulicks  and  others  have  been 
eyes  in  the  far-off  seas  to  scientific  men  in 
our  own  land,  such  as  Agassiz,  Dana,  Silli- 
man,  the  Hitchcocks  and  others.  They  have 
helped  to  corroborate  and  demonstrate  the 
true  theory  concerning  the  structure  of 
these  Low  Islands,  that  are  but  tombstones 
of  sunken  volcanic  islands.  Depressions  of 
the  earth  beneath  the  ocean  had  brought 
these  once  elevated  islands  gradually  below 
the  surface.  But  as  the  subsidence  slowly 
went  on,  the  little  coral  workers  upon  the 
reefs  around  kept  at  their  business,  build- 
ing up  nearly  to  a  level  with  the  water  as  the 
island  was  gradually  settling, —  their  prog- 
ress upward  keeping  pace  with  the  progress 
of  the  mountain  downward,  till  the  latter  was 
totally  submerged ;  (or  the  theory  of  a  growth 


THEORY  OF  THE  ISLANDS.  279 

may  better  suit  the  facts.)  A  slight  subse- 
quent elevation  perhaps  brought  this  won- 
derful zoophyte  masonry  above  the  waters. 
Within  this  vast  circle  is  a  lake  or  lagoon 
nearly  encompassed  by  this  new  formation 
of  coral  substance.  This  is  softened  by  the 
action  of  the  elements  into  the  qualities  of 
earth  or  soil,  and  this  encircling  land  is 
styled  an  atoll. 

These  investigations  have  been  very  thor- 
ough and  extensive,  and  have  been  received 
with  proper  recognition  and  enthusiasm  by 
the  scientific  world. 

Another  class  of  the  Pacific  islands  had 
shared  a  better  fate.  They  are  their  own 
monuments  still.  They  signalize  not  the 
sinking  of  mountains  by  a  subsidence  of  the 
earth,  but  the  primitive  upheavals  by  action 
of  central  fires.  Their  story  is  told  by  the 
crater,  not  by  the  lagoon.  Extinguished  fires, 
ever  and  anon  bursting  up  through  cinders 
and  ashes,  instead  of  the  calm  sea  within  that 
listens  to  the  thunder  of  the  outside  ocean, 


280  THESE  FOR  THOSE 

mark  the  history  of  the  larger  islands  of  the 
Pacific. 

The  reader  will  find  in  SilUman's  Journal ' 
a  graphic  notice  of  the  volcanic  phenomena 
of  the  "  Bland  "  of  Hawaii.  It  is  in  a  letter 
to  Prof.  Silliman  from  one  of  our  mission- 
aries. He  speaks  of  various  phenomena  con- 
nected with  that  volcano  and  its  eruptions, 
as  of  other  important  observations  made  in 
the  Island.  (See  extract  made  in  the  Journal 
from  a  tour  around  Hawaii.) 

The  same  journal  has  a  letter  from  Kev. 
Joseph  Goodrich, —  dated  April  20,  1825, — 
which  gives  the  earliest  information  of  the 
Volcano  Mouna  Loa  on  the  Island  of  Hawaii. 
The  eminent  Professor  says  :  "  The  whole 
article  is  a  tellini?  tribute  to  the  zeal  and 
value  of  the  missionary  enterprise." 

Rev.  Charles  S.  SteAvart,  formerly  mis- 
sionary at  Hawaii,  gives  an  interesting 
account  of  the  volcano  of  Kilauea.  The 
notice  is  too  long  to  be  used  here.^ 

^  Vol.  xi.  1^26. 

2  See  Dana's  Kept,  of  Geology  of  the  Pacific.  Sill. 
Jour.  Vol.  xi.  p.  3G2. 


DR.   BINGHAM.  281 

In  another  number  of  same  journal  there 
is  a  report  on  the  minerals  and  rocks  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands.  These  notes  are  illus- 
trations of  his  former  papers,  and  are  a 
valuable  contribution  to  mineralogy  and 
geology. 

From  the  same  journal  we  have  papers  by 
Stewart  and  Goodrich,  giving  valuable  in- 
formation with  regard  to  the  Hawaiian 
volcanoes  generally.  These  papers  report 
careful  observations  on  the  moral  and  civil 
progress  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands. 

Mr.  G.  afterwards  made  a  contribution  to 
Yale  College  of  a  collection  of  specimens, 
gathered  from  the  Sandwich  Island  volca- 
noes. They  are  among  the  rare  curiosities  of 
the  College  Cabinet  at  the  present  time. 

Rev.  Mr.  Bingham,  in  a  communication 
to  the  above  journal,  describes  the  fall  of 
the  meteorite  Sept.  27,  1825,  near  Honolulu. 
The  editor  of  the  Journal  acknowledges  his 
indebtedness  to  Mr.  Bingham  for  five  speci- 
mens of  this  fall. 


282  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

The  valuable  work  of  Ellis  and  Thurston 
on  Polynesia  is  well  known  to  the  scientific 
world,  and  bears  striking  testimony  to  the 
intelligent  industry  of  these  missionaries  in 
the  service  of  sound  learning.  Prof.  Silli- 
man  declared  that  "  it  would  be  impossible 
for  the  historian  of  the  islands  of  the  Pacific 
to  ignore  the  important  contributions  of 
American  missionaries  to  the  departments 
of  science." 

Rev.  Titus  Coan,  of  the  Sandwich  Island 
mission,  has  long  been  the  faithful  reporter 
of  the  volcanic  phenomena  of  that  remarkable 
region.  His  letters  to  the  American  Jour- 
nal of  Science,  written  in  his  own  free  and 
graphic  style,  with  abundant  and  valuable 
illustrations,  cover  a  period  of  thirty  years. 

The  reader  will  find  in  the  same  journal 
an  extended  pa]Der  on  the  topography  and 
geology  of  the  vicinity  of  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  written  by  Pev.  George  Champion, 
before  alluded  to,  a  man  of  remarkable  men- 
tal   and   Christian   culture.      He    gave   the 


REV.   MR.  STODDARD.  283 

whole  of  his  large  fortune  to  the  American 
Board,  and  with  it  himself,  to  go  to  one  of 
the  hardest  missionary  fields  in  the  world. 
It  was  comparatively  little  that  he  lived  to 
accomplish  in  one  point  of  view,  for  his 
career  was  brief.  It  was  brief,  but  brilliant 
in  the  light  shed  upon  science  and  knowl- 
edge, and  illustrations  given  of  Christian 
consecration. 

Important  contributions  to  natural  history, 
especially  of  the  African  gorilla,  have  been 
sent  to  Boston.  Among  these  contributors 
is  the  Eev.  Mr.  Savage,  of  the  Gaboon 
mission. 

I  have  referred  to  Eev.  David  T.  Stoddard 
of  the  Nestorian  mission  in  Persia.  He 
diligently  cultivated  his  scientific  tastes 
while  abroad.  He  kept  his  health  and  buoy- 
ancy by  the  sharp  watch  he  kept  of  every 
thing  that  touched  the  heavens  or  beautified 
the  earth.  The  auroras  as  seen  in  those  clear 
skies,  had  to  pay  tribute  to  him.  The  mete- 
oric showers  made  their  contributions  to  his 


284  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

observations.  The  planets  and  stars  seemed 
attracted  by  his  fine  telescope.  The  milky 
way  broke  into  atoms  as  pierced  by  it.  The 
stars  never  twinkled  above  the  forty-fifth 
degree  to  his  clear  eye.  He  was  a  watchman 
quick  to  penetrate  the  skies  for  the  men  of 
science  in  Europe  and  America. 

Nor  was  the  late  Dr.  Perkins,  of  the  same 
mission  for  thirty-six  years,  idle  in  the  de- 
partment of  science  and  learning.  "  He  has 
been  an  industrious  collector  of  facts  and 
specimens,  illustrative  -of  science  and  anti- 
quarian knowledge."  ^ 

Dr.  Azariah  Smith,  missionary  at  Aintab 
and  elsewhere,  was  by  taste  and'  education  a 
man  of  science.  Prof.  Silliman  says,  "  He  did 
much  to  promote  our  knowledge  by  his  ac- 
curate habits  of  observ-ation  and  description 
of  what  he  saw.  Besides  the  whole  curricu- 
lum of  theological  study  in  its  most  thorough 
manner,  he  devoted  himself  to  medical  and 
surgical  pursuits,  and  with  such  zeal  as  to 

'Prof.  Hitchcock. 


DR.   BEADLE.  285 

make  himself  a  most  skillful  physician.  He 
studied  those  parts  of  the  common  law,  also 
of  the  civil  and  international  law,  which  he 
considered  to  be  useful.  Natural  history  and 
general  science,  including  astronomy  and 
meteorology,  were  carefully,  even  zealously, 
pursued  by  him."  Dr.  Smith  published  in 
the  American  Journal  of  Science,  Vol.  39, 
p.  134,  On  Electricity.  Vol.  49,  p.  113,  on 
the  Euins  of  Nineveh.  Vol.  2,  p.  72,  Ther- 
mometrical  Observations  in  Western  Asia. 
Vol.  5,  pp.  141  and  297,  Additional  Notices 
of  Nineveh.  See  also  papers  in  the  Mission- 
ary Herald,  Vols.  47  and  48. 

The  Eev.  E.  R.  Beadle,  D.  D.,  formerly 
missionary  of  Beirut,  now  pastor  of  a  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  Philadelphia,  was  a 
zealous  naturalist.  "To  him,"  says  Prof. 
Silliman,  "we  were  early  indebted  for  valu- 
able contributions  from  Mt.  Lebanon."  He 
refers  to  another  missionary,  name  not  given, 
to  whom  he  was  indebted  for  his  early 
knowledge  of  the   basaltic  columns   of  the 


286  THESE  FOR   THOSE, 

Columbia  Kiver,  and  for  many  other  geo- 
graphical facts  that  had  fallen  under  his 
critical  notice. 

Prof.  Hitchcock  of  Amherst  College  says : 
"There  is  hardly  a  single  one  of  the  seventy 
missionaries  that  have  gone  out  from  this 
Institution,  that  has  failed  to  furnish  us  with 
some  scientific  and  literary  matter. 

"There  are  thousands  of  specimens  of 
rocks,  minerals,  fossils,  and  fragments  of 
historic  association,  that  lie  as  cherished 
treasures  in  our  cabinets  and  public  libraries. 

"And  in  specimens  of  pressed  animals, 
our  collections  are  equally  rich  from  the 
same  sources.  Birds,"  quadrupeds  and  insects 
adorn  our  shelves,  that  no  money  could  have 
secured. 

"Eev.  W.  Walker,  of  the  Gaboon  mis- 
sion, in  Western  Africa,  sent  us  a  full-sized 
gorilla,  one  of  the  most  perfect  specimens 
of  the  kind  in  the  country. 

"Rev.  Dr.  Van  Lennep  and  Rev.  Story 
Hebard  furnished  valuable  aid  in  making 
some   papers   on  the   geology  of  Palestine. 


DR.    WOLCOTT.  287 

"Eev.  Ebenezer  Burgess  read  a  paper 
before  the  American  Association  of  Science, 
on  the  geology  of  India  and  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope. 

"Dr.  Justin  Perkins  accomplished  still 
more,  probably,  in  determining  the  geology 
of  Persia,  by  furnishing  specimens  and  facts 
to  my  predecessor." 

Eev.  Dr.  Wolcott,  now  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  made  some  original  investigations  in 
the  Holy  Land,  which  were  communicated 
to  Dr.  Eobinson,  who  published  an  account 
of  them  in  the  Bib.  Sacra,  1843.  Carl 
Ritter,  in  his  great  work,  "  Geography  of 
Palestine,"  refers  to  those  observations 
scores  of  times,   with  very  kind  allusions. 

Dr.  Wolcott  discovered  an  ancient  subter- 
ranean passage,  large  and  vaulted,  under  the 
Mosque  el  Aksa,  and  effected  an  entrance 
into  it,  afterward  introducing  Mr.  Tipping, 
an  English  artist,  who  took  several  fine 
drawings  of  it.  It  is  said  to  be  one  of  the 
most  impressive  and  interesting  relics  of  the 
ancient  city. 


288  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Dr.  Hackett,  Smith's  Bible  Diet.  24-28, 
Art.  "Dragon's  Well,"  refers  to  explorations, 
made  by  Mr.  Wolcott  by  night,  of  excavated 
chambers  connected  with  a  deep  well  near 
the  harem.  These  subterranean  wonders, 
which  Barclay  and  others  have  since 
attempted  to  explore,  are  still  a  part  of  8uh 
terra  incognita.  Our  missionary  was  the 
first  to  risk  a  careful  exploration. 

The  same  work  makes  particular  reference 
to  the  discovery  of  the  aqueduct  from  Solo- 
mon's pools,  by  which  water  was  brought  to 
the  temple :  a  matter  of  curious  interest, 
relating  to  antiquity,  and  particularly  to  that 
building  of  which  God  was  the  architect. 

In  an  excursion  from  Jerusalem  to  Hebron, 
Dr.  Wolcott  discovered  and  identified  the 
ancient  valley  of  Berachah,  in  the  modern 
Wady  Bereikut.  This  brother  discovered 
and  identified  the  ancient  castle  Bethzur  in 
the  modern  ruins  of  Beitsur.  The  same  dis- 
covered and  identified  the  ancient  Jewish 
town  of  Beth-anoth,  in  the  ruins  of  mod- 
ern Beit  Ainum. 


DR.    WOLCOTT  289 

Messrs.  Wolcott  and  Tipping  were  the 
first  to  visit  and  identify  the  remarkable 
ruins  of  the  modern  Sebbeh,  and  confirm  the 
theory  of  Robinson  and  Smith,  who  had  only 
seen  these  ruins  at  a  distance,  that  Sebbeh 
was  the  ancient  Jewish  fortress  of  Masada.^ 

In  a  journey  from  Jerusalem  to  Beirut, 
between  Nabulus  and  Nazareth,  Mr.  Wolcott 
discovered  and  identified  the  ancient  Capar- 
cotia  in  the  modern  Kefr  Ktid.  Carl  Ritter's 
Geog.  IV.  329.  The  great  geographer, 
Ritter,  refers  to  the  visit  of  our  missionary 
to  the  ancient  Megiddo,  on  the  western  bor- 
der of  the  Plains  of  Esdraelou,  where  he 
examined  and  described  the  remains,  and 
confirmed  the  theory  of  Robinson  and  Smith. 

In  his  missionary  tour,  Dr.  Wolcott  at- 
tempted a  route  through  the  interior,  from 
Tiberias  to  Sidon,  which  had  never  been 
traveled  by  modern  tourists.  This  region 
had  not  been  known  to  modern  travelers  till 
the   tour  of  iMr.  Wolcott.     He  took  obser-* 


»Bib.  Diet.  (Hackett),  Art.  "  Masada,"  62-GQ. 
19 


290  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

vations  of  Mt.  Lebanon  from  points  whence 
it  had  not  before  been  noted,  and  was  the 
first  to  make  records  of  its  double  summit. 
Eobinson  refers  to  this  fact  as  explaining  the 
use  of  the  plural,  Hermons.     Ps.  42  :  6.^ 

In  Bib.  Sac.  Oct.,  1866,  and  Jan.,  1867, 
on  "The  Topography  of  Jerusalem,"  Dr. 
Wolcott  disposes  of  the  theory  which  jVIt. 
Furguson,  an  English  architect,  had  ad- 
vanced respecting  the  identity  of  Zion  and 
]\Ioriah ;  also  the  Mosque  of  Omar  and  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher.  In  Bib.  Sac. 
Jan.,  1868,  in  an  Art.  of  forty  pages  on 
"  The  Site  of  Sodom,"  Wolcott  refutes  the 
theory  which  Mr.  Grove  had  advanced,  to 
which  others  had  given  their  assent,  that  the 
Cities  of  the  Plain  lay  north  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  In  an  article  of  thirteen  pages  on  "  The 
Land  of  Moriah,"  this  writer  answers  the 
theory  which  Dean  Stanley  started  in 
modern  times,  and  more  remote  writers  had 
advocated, —  in  which  an  attempt  is  made  to 
identify  ^loriah  with  Gerizim. 

» Bib.  Sacra ;  also  Ritter's  Geog.  II.  163,  164. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

TESTIMONY   OF   SCIENTrPIC   MEN   CONTINUED. 

PRES.  OF  TILE  AMERICAN  ORIENTAL  SOCIETY  —  BaLBI  — 

Harris  —  Dr.  Wilson  —  Dr.  Anderson  —  Prof. 
Agassiz  —  Carl  Ritter  —  Prof.  Peabody  —  Drs. 
Smith,  Dwight,  Perkins  and  Thompson  —  Clos- 
ing Observations. 

I W  N  the  Inaugural  Address  of  Dr.  John 
Pickering,  first  President  of  the 
American  Oriental  Society,  it  is  ob- 
served :  "  Our  missionary  establishments  are 
more  active  than  those  of  any  other  nation, 
particularly  in  relation  to  the  languages 
and  literature  of  different  countries,  and  I 
believe  we  may,  without  fear  of  contradic- 
tion, state  as  a  fact,  that  among  our  mis- 
sionaries we  have  a  greater  number  of  pro- 
ficients in  the  various  languages  of  the  East 


292  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

and  other  parts  of  the  world,  than  are  to 
be  found  among  the  missionaries  of  any 
other  nation." 

Appended  to  this  address  there  are  brief 
statements  respecting  the  operations  of  the 
American  Societies  and  their  missionaries, 
of  which  Dr.  Pickering  remarks :  "  They 
will  abundantly  justify  the  views  taken  of 
their  extent  and  importance  in  the  cause  of 
learning  alone,  without  an}^  reference  to  a 
higher  motive,  which  originally  prompted 
these  efforts  of  a  Christian  community  to 
benefit  their  fellow  men." 

Prof.  W.  D.  Whitney  of  Yale  College,  and 
Secretary  of  the  American  Oriental  Society, 
says  :  "  I  have  a  strong  realization  of  the 
value  of  missionary  labor  to  science.  The 
Oriental  Society,  which  has  been  in  no  small 
measure  the  medium  through  which  the  re- 
sult of  such  labors  on  the  part  of  American 
missionaries  have  been  given  to  the  world, 
has  been  much  dependent  on  them  for  its  use- 
fulness and  importance.  There  would  hardly 


PROF.   WHITNEY.  293 

be  occasion  for  an  American  Oriental  Society 
at  all,  but  for  them, —  so  few  are  there  in 
this  country  who  are  devoted  to  Oriental 
studies.  They  are  worthily  engaged  in 
advancing  the  work  of  their  predecessors, 
those  missionaries  by  whom  the  ancient 
world  was  converted  to  Christianity. 

"The  students  of  the  ancient  languages 
and  literatures  well  know  what  are  their 
obligations  to  those  devoted  men.  Keligion, 
commerce  and  scientific  zeal  are  the  three 
instrumentalities  now  rivaling  one  another 
in  bringing  new  regions  and  peoples  to  light, 
and  in  uncovering  the  long  buried  remains  of 
others,  lost  or  decayed ;  and  of  the  three,  the 
first  is  still  the  most  pervading  and  effective. 

"As  regards  our  American  missionaries 
in  particular,  I  have  heard  the  manager  of 
one  of  the  great  Oriental  Societies  abroad 
speak  with  admiration  of  the  learning,  good 
sense  and  enterprise  which  their  labors 
disclose,  and  lament  that  the  men  of  his  own 
people  were  so  decidedly  their  inferiors. 


294  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

In  examininsr  the  volumes  of  the  American 

o 

Oriental  Society,  I  was  astonished  to  find 
that  in  the  first  ^yq,  in  octavo  form,  more 
than  a  thousand  closely  printed  pages  had 
been  contributed  by  foreign  missionaries, 
showing  their  industry  in  the  direction  of 
science  and  literature. 

Rev.  Lewis  Grout,  for  twenty  years  a 
missionary  of  the  Board  in  Africa,  has 
written  a  volume  entitled  "Zulu  Land,"  pages 
351.  In  this  we  have  the  early  history  of 
Natal  and  adjacent  regions,  their  geograph- 
ical features,  the  origin  and  relation  of  the 
Zulu  Kaffir  and  other  African  tribes,  their 
government,  superstitions,  literature,  and 
language,  —  geological  features,  botanical 
productions,  and  much  pertaining  to  the 
natural  history  of  the  country.  The  J^eio 
Unglander  says  :  "  We  have  evidence  that 
the  book  has  the  accuracy  of  a  photograph." 
The  JVbrth  American  Review  regards  the 
volume  as  an  important  contribution  to 
the  religious  and  the  political  history  of 
the  times. 


BALE  I  AND  HARRIS.  295 

Balbi,  the  great  encyclopaedist,  is  enthusi- 
astic in  his  praise  of  missionary  adventure 
and  discovery.  He  says  ;  "Numerous  mate- 
rials for  the  comparison  of  languages  have 
been  collected  at  various  times.  In  this 
field,  along  with  many  other  useful  laborers, 
the  ministers  of  Christianity  have  occupied 
the  first  rank.  To  the  zeal  of  the  Mora- 
vians, Baptists  and  other  Protestant  mission- 
aries, the  ethnography  that  classifies  men 
owes  its  acquaintance  with  so  many  nations 
— hitherto  unknown  —  in  India  and  other 
regions  of  Asia,  in  various  parts  of  America 
and  Oceanica,  along  with  the  translation  of 
the  Bible,  in  whole  or  in  part,  into  so  many 
diJSerent  lan£:ua2:es." 

Harris,  author  of  Mammon,  says :  "  The 
Christian  researches  of  Buchanan  in  India, 
and  of  Jowett  in  the  Mediterranean,  Syria, 
and  the  Holy  Land,  the  journals  of  Heber, 
the  biographies  of  Marty n.  Hall,  Turner, 
Thomason,  Brown  and  others,  the  periodical 
account    of   the    Serampore   Brethren,    and 


296  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

the  reports  of  our  missionary  institutions, 
are  of  great  value  to  the  historian  and  the 
naturalist." 

Dr.  J.  L.  Wilson,  who  labored  nearly 
twenty  years  as  a  missionary  in  Western 
Africa,  published  the  result  of  his  inquiries 
and  observations  in  a  useful  volume  in 
duodecimo  form.  It  is  a  standard  work  of 
its  kind. 

Dr.  D.  O.  Allen  labored  twenty-five  years 
as  a  missionary  in  India,  and  gave  in  a 
volume  of  more  thaa  six  hundred  octavo 
pages,  a  faithful  description  of  the  country, 
ancient  and  modern.  The  volume  has  great 
value  in  a  historical  and  scientific  point  of 
view,  as  well  as  being  a  faithful  missionary 
record. 

Dr.  Anderson  says  :  "  Williams's  Middle 
Kingdom,  in  twelve  hundred  pages,  is  prob- 
ably the  best  account  ever  published  of  the 
Chinese  empire,  as  it  had  been  and  was 
in  1848." 

Prof.  Agassiz,  referring  to  the  fact   that 


MISSIONARY  HERALD.  297 

a  missionary  in  Asia  had  just  promised 
to  send  him  specimens  of  fish,  says  :  "  Few 
are  aware  how  much  we  owe  the  mission- 
aries, both  for  their  intelligent  observation 
of  facts,  and  their  collecting  of  specimens. 
We  must  look  to  them  not  a  little  for  aid 
in  our  efibrt  to  advance  future  science." 

Carl  Ritter,  in  his  recent  work  on  Pales- 
tine, says:  "The  Missionary  Herald  is 
where  the  reader  must  look  to  find  the  most 
valuable  and  instructive  documents  that  have 
been  sent  home  by  the  agents  of  any  society, 
and  where  a  rich  store  of  scientific,  histor- 
ical, and  antiquarian  details  may  be  seen." 

The  Herald  is  a  medium  through  which 
a  great  amount  of  scientific  knowledge  goes 
into  Christian  and  popular  reading.  Scien- 
tific journals  quote  freely  from  this  publica- 
tion. It  thus  enlarges  the  domains  of  useful 
knowledge.  These  missionary  journals  are 
at  the  bottom  of  a  large  part  of  that  multi- 
farious knowledge  which  permits  the  present 
asre  to  call  itself  the  ao^e  of  intelliarence." 


298  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Prof.  Andrew  P.  Peabody,  of  Harvard 
College,  a  distinguished  scholar,  and  a  firm 
friend  of  the  missionary  cause,  speaking  of 
the  Herald,  and  of  the  communications 
of  the-  missionaries,  says:  "If  we  were  to 
leave  out  of  thought  its  ]3rime  purpose  of 
enkindling  and  sustaining  zeal  in  the  great 
work  of  evangelizing  the  world,  and  regard 
the  Missionary  Herald  solely  as  a  journal  for 
the  dissemination  of  knowledge  and  the  ad- 
vancement of  learning,  it  would  easily  hold  the 
first  place  among  the  periodicals  of  the  age." 

Says  another,  who  has  made  the  sciences 
a  specialty :  "  The  contributions  of  our 
missionaries  to  the  different  departments  of 
science  are  almost  endless.  These  are 
mainly  in  definite  and  accurate  details, 
filling  up  the  bolder  outlines  that  others 
have  traced.  Very  much  of  the  value  of 
their  labor  in  this  direction  consists  in  the 
accuracy  and  reliableness  of  their  representa- 
tions, in  contrast  with  the  marvels  and  crudi- 
ties of  other  irresponsible  explorers." 


DR.    ANDERSON.  299 

Speaking  of  the  value  of  the  Herald  in 
these  respects,  Dr.  Anderson,  for  many 
years  Foreign  Secretary  of  the  Board,  bears 
this  testimony  :  ''  The  details  show  by  what 
efforts  men  of  diverse  characters  and  ge- 
nius succeeded  or  failed  in  first  gaining  the 
confidence  of  communities  as  diverse  as 
themselves ;  in  awakening  the  desire  for 
improvement,  and  securing  interested  atten- 
tion to  new  ideas  of  human  life  and  des- 
tiny; the  multifarious  workings  of  mind, 
when  imbruted  by  heathenism,  or  when  mis- 
led by  a  corrupt  Christianity,  both  in 
seeking  and  resisting  Christian  truth;  the 
action  of  hierarchies  and  governments,  half 
civilized  and  uncivilized,  when  disturbed  by 
the  advance  of  light  into  their  dominions ; 
how  schools,  where  schools  were  wanting  or 
worthless,  have  been  started,  conducted, 
modified  according  to  circumstances,  multi- 
plied and  made  to  grow  into  systems  of 
popular  education,  leading  on  to  the  estab- 
lishment  of    higher  institutions, — literary, 


300  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

scientific  and  professional ;  the  Christian 
experience  of  individual  converts,  showing 
the  inward  struggles  through  which  a  multi- 
tude of  minds,  of  various  character  and 
condition,  have  attained  to  the  intelligent 
and  cordial  reception  of  Christian  truth, 
and  resulting  transformations  of  character ; 
the  planting  and  training  of  churches  in 
forms  varying  as  the  exigencies  of  each 
required,  and  their  various  degrees  of 
success  ;  the  influence  of  advancing  Christian 
light  and  morality  on  the  action  of  govern- 
ments, even  to  the  extent  of  their  peaceful 
reconstructions  in  better  forms  and  on  better 
principles ;  the  transformation  of  society, 
by  the  gradual  adoption  of  the  industry, 
commerce,  arts,  comforts,  and  decencies  of 
civilized  'Christian  life.  The  men  and 
women  by  whose  labors  all  these  things  have 
been  done,  have  so  described  them  from  day 
to  day  as  they  occurred,  that  the  Christian 
world  might  understand,  appreciate  and 
sustain  their  labors;    and  that  minds  com- 


MEMORIAL    VOLUME.  301 

petent  to  the  task  might  suggest  every 
possible  improvement  in  the  modes  of  con- 
ducting them.  These  accounts,  either  in  the 
words  of  their  authors,  or  carefully  and 
skillfully  condensed,  fill  the  greater  part  of 
these  thirty-nine  octavo  volumes  :  forming  a 
library  which  has  been  and  is  now  studied 
with  intense  interest,  not  only  by  the  prince 
of  geographers,  Carl  Ritter,  and  other  liter- 
ary and  scientific  men,  but  by  statesmen  of 
the  highest  order  of  intellect,  who  have  no 
sympathy  with  its  religious  spirit." 

The  History  of  the  American  Board,  writ- 
ten by  Dr.  J.  Tracy,  in  1842,  was  compiled 
chiefly  from  published  and  unpublished  doc- 
uments in  his  hands  at  the  time.  It  is  an 
invaluable  contribution,  not  only  to  mis- 
sionary literature,  but  to  general  knowledge 
and  learninof. 

Dr.  Anderson  published,  in  1862,  The 
Memorial  Volume,  which  is  a  condensed 
summary  of  the  most  valuable  knowled2"e 
relating     to     the     great      missionary    proo-- 


302  THESE  FOR   THOSE 

ress  of  the  last  half-centuiy.  It  is  the 
record  of  an  enterprise  that  undertook  the 
work  of  Christian  civilization  in  heathen  and 
half-civilized  nations.  As  a  memorial  work, 
itJias  hardly  an  equal  in  point  of  style,  and 
in  the   subject-matter  treated. 

More  recently  this  author  published  a 
volume  entitled  "The  Hawaiian  Islands,"  soon 
after  he  had  journeyed  over  those  islands. 
This  book,  though  it  treats  mainly  of  mi.^- 
sionary  matters,  goes  into  the  general  and 
natural  history  of  the  islands,  giving  a  de- 
scription of  the  people,  their  origin,  habits, 
and  improvement ;  also  of  the  islands  as 
such,  their  physical  features  and  peculiarities 
so  interestins:  to  scientific  readers. 

This  book,  in  connection  with  one  pub- 
lished by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Street,  of  Wis- 
casset,  Me.,  who  accompanied  the  Doctor  on 
that  tour,  and  saw  with  even  a  more  curious 
and  aesthetic  eye  than  the  father  himself,  to- 
gether with  Dibble's  "  History,"  and  Bingham's 
"  Twenty-one  years  as  a  Missionary  "  at  the 


SMITH  AND  D  WIGHT.  303 

islands,  gives  a  graphic  as  well  as  exhaustive 
history  of  those  interesting  lands. 

Just  after  the  Grecian  independence  had 
been  achieved  in  1829,  the  Greek  Islands 
were  visited  by  Dr.  Anderson  and  Eli  Smith, 
one  of  the  missionaries  in  Turkey.  Dr.  A., 
on  his  return,  published  a  volume,  which 
received  honorable  notice  from  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society  in  London,  as  a  valu- 
able and  much  needed  contribution  to  geo- 
graphical science. 

Soon  after,  in  1833,  Eev.  Messrs.  Smith 
and  Dwight  made  a  general  tour  of  explo- 
ration through  Asia  Minor,  including  Arme- 
nia, and  into  Georgia  and  Persia,  with  a  visit 
to  the  Nestorians.  It  was  published  in  tAvo 
volumes.  It  was  reprinted  in  London,  and 
highly  commended  in  some  of  the  leading 
English  Reviews. 

In  this  connection  I  will  speak  of  a  vol- 
ume entitled,  "  Residence  of  eight  years  in 
Persia  among  the  Nestorians  and  Moham- 
medans," in  more   than  ^yq  hundred  octavo 


304  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

pages,  by  Dr.  Perkins.  This  book  has  the 
appearance  of  having  been  written  by  one 
who  held  not  only  a  graceful  pen,  but  saw 
with  a  critical  and  aesthetic  eye. 

The  periodicals  of  our  missionary  Boards, 
diffused  over  the  country  generally,  are 
replete  with  the  records  of  travels,  observa- 
tions and  discoveries  of  missionaries.  They 
become  a  sort  of  circulating  library  of  his- 
torical facts  and  scientific  knowledge  for  the 
masses  of  the  people. 

Till  recently,  art  and  science  had  trav- 
ersed but  few  fields.  Now  they  have  gathered 
the  wealth  of  the  world.  But  who  have 
been  the  largest  contributors  to  this  wealth  ? 
Who  have  been  the  most  diligent  explorers 
to  obtain  accurate  knowledge  of  the  nations  ? 
It  is  those  who  have  gone  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  heathen.  As  successful  ex- 
plorers and  discoverers  in  fields  covering 
scarcely  less  than  half  the  globe,  there  is  no 
class  of  men  that  outrank  foreign  mission- 
aries.    Their  high  motive  has  urged    them 


DEBT  TO  MISSIONS.  305 

on.  We  owe  more  to  missionary  adventure 
and  discovery  for  the  knowledge  we  have  of 
this  world,  its  peoples,  their  thinking  and 
habits,  than  perhaps  to  any  other  source.  So 
far  as  foreign  missions  in  these  ways  have 
tended  to  guide  popular  thought,  to  give 
breadth  to  knowledge,  and  to  enlarge  the 
treasures  of  science,  they  have  done  a  ser- 
vice to  mankind  which  money  could  not 
repay. 

30 


TOPIC    YI. 

OUE    INDEBTEDNESS    TO    MISSIONS 
AS  CHUKCHES    AND   CHRISTIANS. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

EFFECT   OF   FOREIGN    MISSIONS   ON    CHRISTIAN 
THEOLOGY. 

Spiritual  Nature  op  Missions  —  Discriminations  — 
Importance  op  their  Aid  —  Illustration  of 
THEIR  Achievements  —  How  these  effect  Men's 
Reasoning  and  Estemation  of  Christianity. 


^j^^OREIGN  missions  are  primarily 
^l^  foi*  the  heathen;  they  are  profit- 
able to  them  principally ;  but  are 
profitable  likewise  to  those  engaged  in 
them  at  home.  This  fact  we  have  at- 
tempted to  show  in  several  distinct 
Topics.  We  are  now  to  show  that  foreign 
missions  have  been  profitable  to  us  as 
Christians  and  churches.  They  have  been 
a  blessing  to  the  denominations  that  have 
been  engaged  in  them.  Their  influence  has 
been  felt  on  Christian  character  and  culture, 


310  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

in    promoting  growth    in    grace,    religious 
development    and  personal  holiness. 

The  impression  has  prevailed  to  some 
extent  that  foreign  missions  are  of  use  only 
to  the  heathen ;  that  they  are  an  almost 
unrelieved  burden  to  the  Christian  world ; 
a  draft  upon  their  prosperity  and  patience 
even.  But  this  is  not  true ;  and  it  is  high 
time  that  this  notion,  and  such  disparagement 
of  the  noblest  work  of  the  age,  be  removed. 
The  work  of  missions  is  profitable  to  us 
as  Christians  and  Churches  every  way. 
They  are  a  privilege  to  the  Christian  world, 
as  well  as  a  blessing  to  the  heathen  world. 
They  are  not  a  loss,  an  outset,  a  burden,  but 
are  a  gain  to  us,  both  in  temporal  and 
spiritual  things.  There  are  no  gains,  in- 
deed, so  much  to  be  coveted  as  spiritual 
gains,  and  there  are  no  losses  so  much  to 
be  deprecated  as  spiritual  losses. 

The  good  gotten  from  foreign  missions 
by  those  engaged  in  them  is  incidental  and 
reflexive,  but  none  the  less  real  and  useful 


DISINTERESTED   WORK.  311 

on  that  account.  Such  is  the  order  of  things 
in  the  divine  economy,  that  blessings  im- 
parted are  reactive  or  retrospective  often 
in  their  influence,  and  afi'ect  the  giver 
as  well  as  those  upon  whom  they  are 
bestowed.  The  blessedness  of  giving  and 
doing  for  Christ's  sake  is  real,  is  all  our  own, 
and  nothing  can  take  it  away  from  us  ;  while 
at  the  same  time,  the  blessing  bestowed 
reaches  others  and  still  others  on  to  the  end 

of  time. 

The    work  of  foreign  missions  is   not   a 
work  carried  forward  in  view  of  any  respec- 
tability,   convenience,    or    profit    to    those 
engaged  in  it,  as  is  the  case  often  in  efforts 
to  support  the  gospel  at  home.     We  go  to 
the  work  of  missions  for  the  good  they  will  do 
others,  and  those  whom  we  have  never  seen. 
We    do   not   undertake   them   for   personal 
benefit,    or  because    they    are   supposed   to 
benefit   our    nation    or    community,    as    in 
efforts   for  our   own  parish  or  church;  we 
support  them  as  a  foreign  enterprise,  for  the 


312  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

good  of  those  far  distant  from  us,  and  witK 
no  thought  of  any  good  to  come  to  us 
in  return.  The  work,  in  this  aspect  of  it, 
becomes  a  disinterested  work. 

But  while  this  is  the  grand  motive  to  for- 
eign missions,  there  are  moral  benefits  and 
compensations  that  come  to  us  as  a  conse- 
quence of  the  work.  This  refluent  influence 
is  all  the  more  profitable  and  significant 
because  it  is  spiritual  and  pertains  to  imper- 
ishable things. 

Works  of  disinterestedness  are  surest  to 
react  for  good  upon  the  doer.  The  good 
measure  pressed  down,  shaken  together  and 
running  over,  promised  to  those  that 
give,  is  for  those  that  give  disinter- 
estedly; that  give  the  best,  and  hardest 
to  be  parted  with.  There  is  no  giving 
nor  doing  that  is  so  profitable  as  the  kind 
that  excludes  self,  and  necessitates  personal 
sacrifice  without  the  hope  of  personal  gain. 
There  are  no  acts  nor  gifts  so  precious  to 
Christ  as  those  that  are  intended  to  save  the 


CHRISTIAN  THEOLOGY.  313 

souls  of  men.  We  should  expect,  then,  that 
the  best  gifts  of  Gocl,  his  richest  favors, 
would  be  for  those  who  do  most  and  suffer 
most  to  save  men,  and  to  save  those  they 
have  never  seen.  We  should  expect  that  the 
work  of  foreign  missions,  carried  on  in 
the  spirit  of  Christian  benevolence,  would 
strengthen  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  kindle 
to  a  purer  flame  the  spirit  of  piety  in  Chris- 
tian hearts.     But  to  the  foundations  ! 

Look  at  the  bearing  of  this  work  on  the 
interests  of  Christian  Theology.  Missions 
have  done  much  to  strengthen  the  argument 
in  favor  of  Christianity.  I  affirm  their 
profitableness  to  us  spiritually  from  this 
point  of  view.  This  is  fundamental.  What- 
ever helps  to  authenticate  and  establish  the 
Christian  religion,  upon  which  all  good  insti- 
tutions and  influences  rest,  is  a  spiritual 
good ;  it  is  a  rational  good ;  it  is  a  personal 
good. 

No  argument  in  favor  of  the  Christian 
relio:ion    is   more   conclusive   than   the   one 


314  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

derived  from  its  achievements  in  the  world. 
Every  religious  system  must  bear  to  be  put 
to  this  test.  By  their  fruits  ye  shall 
know  them.  The  system  that  will  not  stand 
this  test  of  results  is  a  failure,  and  must  be 
set  aside.  On  the  other  hand,  a  system  that 
benefits  the  world  spiritually  and  perma- 
nently, is  proved  to  be  from  God. 
•  Foreiern  missions  have  brousrht  a  new 
element  of  strength  to  the  proofs  of  Chris- 
tianity as  a  system.  The  gospel  has  been 
tested  among  the  nations  on  an  extended 
scale,  and  in  circumstances  the  most  unpro- 
pitious.  It  has  been  tried  and  proved  in 
point  of  efficacy  where  peoples  were  sunk  to 
the  lowest  depths  of  barbarism.  It  has 
stood  the  test  where  all  other  influences  had 
failed.  It  has  elevated  races  and  peoples 
that  nothing  else  could  reach.  It  has  been 
authenticated  as  divine  by  the  splendor  of 
its  achievements..  It  has  been  tried  upon 
the  cannibals  of  the  Feejee  Islands,  upon  the 
savages  of  the  Marquesas  Group,  and  with 


CHANGES  WROUGHT.  315 

marvelous  results.  Nowhere  on  earth,  fifty 
years  ago,  was  human  nature  sunk  lower 
than  at  the  Sandwich  Islands.  More  than 
half  the  children  born  there  were  put  to 
death  in  their  infancy.  Every  form  of  moral 
restraint  had  been  taken  off  from  the  people 
on  many  of  the  Islands.  The  Tabus,  with 
the  cumbersome  system  of  idolatry,  had 
been  abolished,  that  the  people  might  be 
more  free  to  indulge  in  chosen  wickedness. 
The  intellect  and  heart  had  gone  to  a  fearful 
depth  of  debasement.  The  vices  had  been 
multiplied  and  intensified  by  contact  with 
foreigners,  who  had  visited  those  islands  for 
gain,  or  had  gone  there  for  lawlessness  and 
licentiousness. 

And,  worst  of  all,  the  natives  were  satis- 
fied with  their  condition.  They  did  not  wish 
for  any  change.  They  had  no  desire  to  rise 
in  the  scale  of  intelligence  and  morality. 
Consequently  there  was  no  human  standpoint 
froiA  which  to  commence  the  work  of  elevat- 
ing and  civilizing  them.     They  preferred  to 


316  777^^^  FOR  THOSE. 

live  without  God  or  gods  in  the  world.  It 
was  paradise  to  revel  in  wickedness  as  their 
ancestors  had  done.  They  sought  to  out- 
rival their  ancestors  in  wicked  and  abomin- 
able deeds. 

But  the  gospel  came  to  them.  It  was 
preached  to  them  in  love.  It  took  effect. 
It  reached  their  minds  and  consciences. 
Its  influence  began  to  be  great  upon  the 
people,  especially  upon  those  in  power. 
There  were  conversions ;  churches  were 
formed,  and  houses  of  worship  were  built. 
Men  left  off  their  vices,  and  led  Christian 
lives.  The  language  was  reduced  to  form. 
Schools  were  established.  A  new  aspect 
was  put  upon  the  nation.  The  Spirit  came 
down  in  a  marvelous  outpouring,  and  many 
thousands  were  converted.  The  seal  of 
God's  special  approval  was  thus  put  upon 
the  work,  and  a  new  seal,  too,  of  great  sig- 
nificance, was  put  upon  the  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity that  had  accomplished  the  work. 
This  change  at  the  islands  was   of  itself  a 


PRINCIPLES  AND  PROOFS.  317 

great  good,  as  measured  by  its  thoroughness 
and  extent,  the  worth  of  the  soul  and  the 
length  of  eternity.  But  we  are  bound  to 
consider  the  effect  of  this  upon  Christian- 
ity itself;  not,  indeed,  as  to  its  principles  or 
substance,  but  with  respect  to  its  evidences 
and  sanctions  in  the  appreciation  of  a  world 
for  which  it  was  established.  The  principles 
of  Christianity  are  established.  It  is  done 
forever.  They  are  unchangeable,  and  can 
never  be  shaken.  But  it  is  otherwise  with 
the  Evidences  and  development  of  Christian- 
ity. These  change ;  these  are  strengthened 
or  weakened  according  to  circumstances, 
successes  and  reverses.  Evidences  are  rela- 
tive; principles  are  absolute.  Those  are 
affected  by  circumstances,  developments  and 
influences  ;  these  are  positive,  are  permanent. 
The  evidences  of  Christianity  are  thus 
strengthened  in  the  view  of  reason  by  dem- 
onstrations of  its  power  and  supernatural 
agency  in  the  world.  The  foreign  mission- 
ary work  has  thus  fortified  the  argument  in 


318  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

favor  of  the  Christian  system.  A  religious 
system  that  has  served  to  change  gross  bar- 
barism and  wretchedness  into  an  orderly  and 
civilized  Christian  state,  is  proved  to  be 
from  God.  Next  to  the  miracles  of  early 
times,  these  modern  achievements  of  the  gos- 
pel demonstrate  its  divine  origin. 

The  inductive  evidence  thus  brought  out 
in  favor  of  the  Christian  system, —  I  mean 
evidences  derived  from  authenticated  facts, 
accumulated  successes  and  triumphs  under 
such  unfavorable  circumstances, —  is  hardly 
less  conclusive  than  the  sujpernaturdl  proofs 
that  accompanied  its  introduction  into  the 
world.  God's  voice  out  of  the  heavens 
could  scarcely  be  more  emphatic  and  audible 
than  his  voice  among  the  nations  now.  The 
power  that  could  roll  back  the  sea,  and  change 
it  into  marble,  is  not  more  evidently  divine, 
or  powerfully  demonstrated  to  the  world, 
than  the  power  that  could  roll  back  this 
ocean  of  dead  heathenism,  and  put  in  its 
place   a   Christian   civilization.     K  he  who 


SKEPTICISM  BAFFLED.  319 

healed  the  sick  and  raised  the  dead  gave 
proof  that  God  was  with  him  and  wrought 
by  him,  so  does  the  missionary,  whose  words 
of  truth  raise  men  and  nations  that  are 
spiritually  dead. 

Skepticism  finds  ways  to  meet  other 
kinds  of  Christian  evidence  drawn  from 
reason,  analogy  and  Scripture,  —  but  proofs 
brought  from  facts,  or  fields  of  Christian 
conflict  and  conquest,  where  the  gospel  has 
elevated  men,  raising  the  family  institution 
from  ruins,  establishing  good  government 
and  equal  laws,  promoting  industry  and 
thrift,  and  putting  upon  society  the  crown 
of  intelligence  and  virtue,  cannot  easily  be 
resisted. 

So  it  is  that  Christian  missions  have 
strengthened  the  evidences  of  Christianity, 
and  added  the  crowning  argument  of 
achievement  and  conquest  among  the  nations 
that  were  sunk  lowest  in  barbarism.  Chris- 
tian theology  thus  stands  on  higher  ground 
by  reason   of   these   successes.      It   has   a 


320  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

firmer  basis  in  human  belief.  Those  achieve- 
ments in  some  parts  of  the  heathen  world, 
as  in  Madagascar,  have  been  of  the  nature 
of  miracle  itself,  in  this  matter  of  positive 
demonstration.  These  moral  miracles  are 
really  no  less  conclusive  than  the  miracles 
wrought  anciently  upon  the  elements  and 
materials  of  nature.  Christ  said,  if  ye  be- 
lieve not  me,  believe  the  works!  I  take  it 
that  he  meant  spiritual  work^,  not  less  than 
natural  or  material  works.  For  those,  not 
less  than  these,  were  miraculous  or  super- 
natural, though  the  nature  and  ends 
of  the  miracle  were  different  in  the 
two  cases.  The  kind  of  miracle  wrought 
in  nature,  skeptical  philosophy  has  as- 
sumed to  set  aside  on  the  ground  that  it 
is  easier  to  conceive  that  the  human  senses 
should  be  deceived,  than  that  the  order  of 
nature  should  be  changed.  But  the  order 
of  nature  has  been  changed  by  means  of  the 
gospel :  The  order  of  human  nature,  corrupt 
nature,  in  its  worst  form  and  developments 


GRAND  RESULTS.  321 

of  wickedness  !  This  fact  has  to  be  acknowl- 
edged and  accounted  for.  Skepticism  can- 
not meet  it.  This  moral  miracle  has  been 
wrought.     Let  skeptical  men  account  for  it. 

This  accumulative  evidence  in  favor  of 
Christianity  is  one  of  the  reflex  results  of 
foreiirn  missions.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  influences  that  have  come  in  return 
to  the  Christian  world  for  their  efforts. 
It  is  not  easy  to  estimate  the  worth  of  this 
form  of  proof.  Christianity  is  the  highest 
influence  for  good*  among  the  nations ;  but 
its  value  depends  on  its  development  and 
demonstrations  of  power.  Its  influence  is 
augmented  by  proofs  given  to  the  world 
of  its  regenerating  power  upon  the  indi- 
vidual and  upon  the  race. 

The  moral  condition  of  this  world  is 
affected  more  by  this  question,  touching  the 
truth  of  Christianity,  than  perhaps  by  any 
other  question.  All  other  problems  and 
interests  center  in  this  :  namely,  the  authen- 
ticity  of  the    gospel,    and    its   power    and 

21 


322  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

prevalence  in  the  world.  It  is  Christianity, 
or  some  form  of  paganism,  that  is  to  prevail 
upon  the  earth.  This  latter  casts  a  blight 
upon  the  nations ;  the  former  sheds  a  glory 
upon  them.  We  have  but  to  carry  the  proofs 
of  Christianity  in  this  direction  or  form  of 
argument,  to  a  point  where  skepticism  and 
philosophy  cannot  meet  them,  to  give  the 
gospel  a  vantage  ground  in  the  world  which 
it  has  never  yet  held.  It  is  thus  that  great 
good  has  been  done.  That  has  been 
strengthened  which  strengthens  every  thing 
else  ;  that  has  been  established  which  estab- 
lishes every  thing  else ;  that  has  gotten  a 
victory  and  a  glory  which  gives  conquest 
and  glory  to  every  thing  besides  ! 

We  labor  away  at  our  book  demonstra- 
tions to  prove  the  truth  of  Christianity; 
and  all  this  is  very  well,  so  far  as  it  goes. 
We  go  to  Paley,  to  Edwards,  Butler,  Hop- 
kins and  a  host  of  others,  who  tell  us  of 
analogies  and  adaptations,  of  predictions  ful- 
filled and  miracles  wrought,  to  prove  the 


COMPARATIVE  PROOFS.  323 

truth  of  Christianity ;  and  yet,  we  have  need 
to  go  to  the  history  of  Christianity  itself, 
its  conquests  and  achievements,  to  find 
the  highest  popular  demonstration  of  the 
validity  of  its  claims  as  a  system  from  God. 
The  changes  wrought  by  those  few  who  first 
went  forth  to  the  work  of  Christ  among  the 
nations,  and  by  those  who  have  gone  forth 
to  the  same  work  in  modern  times  among 
the  Gentiles,  are  the  crowning  proofs  or 
attestations  of  the  power  of  the  gospel. 
Other  proofs  are  strong  and  ample  for  those 
morally  disposed  to  accept  them ;  but  here 
the  facts  themselves  must  be  set  aside  in 
order  to  break  the  force  of  proof  in  favor 
of  Christianity.  And  recent  proofs  have  an 
advantage  here.  Doubt  hangs  over  the 
distant.  Admit  that  distance  sometimes 
lends  enchantment.  This  is  true  in  natural 
scenes,  as  measured  by  the  human  eye ;  but 
not  in  matters  of  history,  as  accepted  by  the 
intellect  and  the  faith.  It  gives  force  to  the 
evidences  of  Christianity  that  its  successes 


324  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

are  recent,  and  its  achievements  are  being 
multiplied  before  the  eyes  of  the  world. 
It  is  useful  to  be  able  to  show  men  historic 
events  and  proofs,  not  only,  but  passing 
events  and  proofs  ;  to  show  them  the  records 
of  the  power  of  God  not  merely,  but 
patent  and  positive  proofs  of  that  power. 
It  is  easier  to  cast  doubt  upon  the  remote 
and  distant,  than  upon  things  that  are  coming 
to  pass  every  day  before  our  eyes,  and  are 
identified  with  the  history  of  our  own  times. 
What  has  wrought  these  wonders  among 
the  nations  ?  The  gospel  preached  to  them 
by  missionaries.  What  has  changed  the 
aborigines  of  our  country  in  so  many  instan- 
ces, inclining  them  to  civilized  life  and 
Christian  habits?  It  is  the  gospel.  What 
the  vast  numbers  of  Pariahs  and  Karans  of 
India,  lifting  them  from  moral  wretchedness 
to  personal  respectability,  —  to  say  nothing 
of  the  thousands  in  China  and  Africa,  and 
tens  of  thousands  in  the  Pacific  islands, 
that  have   been  made  subjects  of  a  moral 


PROOFS  STRENGTHENED.  325 

resurrection  ?     It  is  foreign  missions  planted 
by  our  churches. 

And  preachers  of  the  gospel  have  been 
helped  in  their  work,  New  arguments  have 
been  given  them  to  enforce  the  truth  and 
claims  of  religion.  New  illustrations  of  the 
power  of  the  gospel  are  furnished,  and  new 
incentives  and  attractions  to  embrace  it.  We 
are  able  to  strike  heavier  blows  at  the 
bulwarks  of  error  and  sin.  These  fresh 
proofs  challenge  attention,  and  deepen  con- 
viction. They  appeal  to  the  moral  sense 
and  the  inner  heart. 

These  new  arguments  in  proof  of  Chris- 
tianity help  the  instruction  in  theological 
schools  and  colleges.  Courses  of  lectures 
that  bring  these  proofs  and  arguments  to 
view,  are  being  connected  with  our  theolog- 
ical seminaries ;  and  perhaps  the  time  is 
not  distant  when  the  same  will  be  added  to 
our  college  courses  and  other  schools. 

These  things  are  of  use,  too,  in  the  family, 
in  educating  children,  in  forming  their  relig- 


326  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

ious  beliefs.  Evidences  of  Christianity  that 
set  forth  the  power  of  the  gospel  in  heathen 
lands,  are  accompanied  often  by  instructive 
and  fascinating  narratives.  These  are  not 
only  pleasant,  but  useful  auxiliaries  to  home 
influence  and  training.  They  are  fitted  to 
bring  before  the  minds  of  children  the  value 
of  the  gospel,  and  the  force  of  its  claims 
upon  their  own  hearts.  I  remember  a  con- 
versation held  some  years  ago  with  a  talented 
young  man,  who  had  been  troubled  with 
objections  against  Christianity.  He  re- 
marked with  some  feeling  and  emphasis  of 
expression,  that  the  consideration  of  what  the 
Christian  religion  had  accomplished  in  the 
heathen  world,  had  tended  to  settle  his  mind 
upon  the  subject.  His  skepticism  was  under- 
mined, his  doubts  had  ceased  to  trouble  him. 
It  is  providential  that  at  the  time  when 
error  was  coming  in  like  a  flood  upon  our 
land  in  forms  of  pantheism,  rationalism  and 
gross  infidelity,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  should 
have  lifted  up  a  standard  against  it  in  these 


REFLEX  INFLUENCE.  327 

fresh  confirmations  of  the  truth  and  power 
of  Christianity.  It  is  not  easy  to  estimate 
the  good  that  has  come  to  the  Christian 
world  in  this  way.  It  was  unlooked  for.  It 
did  not  enter  into  the  motives  that  prompted 
to  the  work  of  foreign  missions.  It  is  indi- 
rect and  incidental,  but  none  the  less  valu- 
able and  powerful  because  reflexive.  It  is 
one  of  the  providential  blessings  that  have 
come  to  the  churches  in  return  for  Christian 
sacrifice,  and  in  the  way  of  strengthening  the 
foundations. 

People  are  more  easily  moved  to  accept  a 
system  of  religion,  as  proofs  in  its  favor 
are  multiplied.  Confidence  in  its  truth  and 
power  is  strengthened.  The  Spirit's  work 
in  the  heart,  indeed,  will  never  cease  to 
be  necessary  to  induce  men  to  give  up  their 
sins,  and  embrace  the  gospel.  But  the 
Spirit  uses  evidence,  argument, — illustra- 
tions, even !  And  as  these  accumulate  in 
favor  of  Christianity,  saving  influences  and 
spiritual  agencies  will  be  multiplied. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

CHRISTIAN    UNION   AS   APFECTED    BY   FOREIGN 
I^nSSIONS. 

How  A  United  Work  affects  Christians  —  Unity 
AMONG  Missionaries  abroad  —  Influence  of  re- 
turned Missionaries  on  the  Churches  —  The 
Spirit  and  Power  of  the  Mission  Work  favor- 
able TO  Union  —  Exceptions  and  Lbiitations; 

'^^^  NE  of  the  good  things  that  have 
-^^  come  to  us  from  foreign  missions  is 
'^^  the  strenfirthenino:  of  the  bond  of 
Christian  brotherhood  in  the  churches  at 
home.  This  world- work  has  brought  Chris- 
tian hearts  and  wills  nearer  together.  In 
proportion  as  the  work  of  Christ  and  of  the 
kingdom  has  expanded,  the  hearts  engaged 
in  that  work  have  been  brous^ht  into  closer 
Christian  bonds.  The  influence  of  foreign 
missions  has  been  to  soften  the  asperity  of 


CHRISTIAN  UNION.  329 

sect,  and  thus  promote  Christian  charity 
the  world  over. 

The  hostile  attitude  of  religious  bodies  in 
Christian  lands  has  long  been  a  hinderance 
to  the  progress  of  Christianity.  It  has 
marred  the  comeliness  of  the  visible  church, 
and  crippled  its  power  to  a  large  extent. 
Ultra  denominationalism,  with  its  narrow 
jealousies  and  chafing  rivalries,  has  tended 
to  strengthen  false  religions,  as  well  as  to 
weaken  greatly  the  true.  Christ  prayed 
that  his  followers  might  be  made  perfect  in 
one, — that  the  world  might  know  that  the 
Father  had  sent  him.  So  it  is  that  the  spirit 
of  Christian  union  has  a  salutary  influence 
upon  the  world  in  sin. 

The  foreign  missionary  work  tends  to  pro- 
mote such  union.  Any  great  work  done 
for  the  world  lying  in  wickedness,  helps  to 
bring  all  hearts  engaged  in  that  work  into 
closer  and  warmer  sympathy.  Such  work 
serves  to  throw  all  lesser  issues  into  the 
shade. 


330  THE8E  FOR    THOSE. 

When  Christians  rise  from  the  specific  to 
the  generic,  from  the  particular  to  the  com- 
prehensive, from  the  narrow  to  the  grand, 
they  are  brought  nearer  together  in  mutual 
interest  and  affection.  The  common  object 
or  enterprise  looms  up  above  all  party  and 
personal  considerations.  Laboring  for  a 
world,  they  come  more  closely  into  the  sym- 
pathy of  Him  who  suffered  and  died  for  a 
world.  When  a  common  evil  of  great  pro- 
portions is  attacked,  or  a  common  good  of 
all-absorbing  interest  is  sought,  former  differ- 
ences of  feeling  disappear  or  diminish,  and 
grander  motives  and  sympathies  draw  men 
to  a  common  standard  of  view  and  of 
love. 

And  then  the  courtesy  which  denomina- 
tional Boards  of  Missions  show  to  each 
other  in  their  affairs  at  home  and  in  their 
work  abroad,  has  a  useful  influence  upon  the 
churches  that  sustain  them.  In  their  anni- 
versaries, in  their  published  documents  and 
addresses,  words  of  kindness,  co-operation. 


THE  GREAT  WORK.  331 

and  fraternity  are  used.  A  noble  example 
this  to  the  denominations  united  in  these 
Boards,  and  in  favor  of  the  oneness  of  Chris- 
tian hearts. 

But  missionaries  themselves  are  far  away 
from  scenes  of  denominational  strife.  Conflict 
is  very  rarely  known  in  the  foreign  field.  De- 
nominationalism  there  is  a  strange  growth. 
It  is  a  difierent  thing  from  that  which'  bears 
its  name  in  Christian  countries.  Mission- 
aries are  engaged  against  a  common  enemy. 
They  are  sent  out  to  overthrow  heathenism 
by  preaching  the  gospel.  The  work  de- 
mands all  their  energies.  They  have  little 
time  or  disposition  to  engage  in  party 
conflicts.  They  cannot  come  down  to  at- 
tend to  these  doubtful  matters.  They 
need  all  their  strength  and  influence  against 
overshadowing  heathenism,  and  in  efibrts  to 
build  up  the  kingdom  of  love.  They  are 
willing  that  other  orders  should  help  them, 
and  work  by  their  side ;  and  that  each  one 
should  work  in  his  own  way  and  style,  and 


332  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

with  just  that  sort  of  armor  and  weapon 
which  God  has  given  him  the  skill  to  use. 
Eeturned  missionaries  tell  us  that  secta- 
rianism, in  the  bad  sense,  does  not  usually 
follow  them  into  the  foreign  field.  It  does 
not  ordinarily  outlive  the  first  sea-voyage ! 
Almost  the  next  thing  they  get  rid  of  after 
their  sea-sickness,  is  their  sectarianism,  or 
the  offensive  features  of  ifc.  How  often  have 
they  been  heard  to  say,  possibly  in  a  little 
of  oriental  exaggeration,  that  in  the  mission 
field,  they  scarcely  knew  what  denomination 
they  were  of.  They  are  Christians,  at  work 
for  Christ  to  save  the  world  !  Not  that  they 
love  their  own  order  less,  but  they  love  other 
orders  better.  Not  that  their  home-loves 
are  weaker,  but  their  love  for  a  lost  world  is 
stronger.  They  are  far  away;  and  every 
thing  that  bears  the  likeness  of  Christ  is  dear 
to  them.  Every  one  that  can  do  the  work 
of  Christ  is  dear  to  them.  So  it  seems 
unnatural  to  them,  it  is  unnatural,  to  contend 
with  their  brethren,  who  bear  the  image  of 


CO-OPERATION.  333 

Christ,    and   are    engaged   in  the   work   of 
Christ  for  the  perishing  at  their  side. 

The  several  evangelical  denominations 
abroad  have  thus  co-operated  together  with 
singular  harmony.  Their  differences,  instead 
of  being  a  weakness,  have  been  rather  a 
glory.  These  illustrations  of  Christian  union 
in  the  foreign  work  have  great  moral  sig- 
nificance. They  are  among  the  lesser  lights 
of  the  Christian  world;  and,  shining  from 
afar,  have  reached  our  own  churches,  and 
the  effect  has  been  good. 

For  that  which  is  useful  and  beautiful  in 
the  foreign  field,  is  equally  so  in  the  home 
field.  That  which  is  good  in  India  and 
China  and  Japan,  is  good  also  in  Britain 
and  America.  Moral  influences,  moral  forces, 
have  a  universal  application.  So  the  spirit 
of  Christian  union,  that  prevails  largely  and 
happily  abroad,  is  reflected  back  upon  the 
churches  in  our  own  country.  The  mis- 
sionary work  reacts  upon  us  in  a  variety  of 
ways,— in  modifying  the   developments   of 


334  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Christianity  in  our  own  country.  The  type 
of  Christian  truth  set  up  in  heathen  coun- 
tries, makes  an  impression  upon  general 
Christian  thought  and  feeling.  The  work 
abroad  modifies  our  home  work.  The  spirit 
that  prevails  there  has  its  influence  here.  It 
could  scarcely  be  otherwise.  The  communi- 
cations between  missionaries  abroad  and  the 
churches  at  home  are  constant  and  influential. 
Mssionaries  return  frequently  to  this  coun- 
try. It  is  best  that  they  should  do  so  ;  they 
wear  longer  for  the  change.  And  they  tell 
us  how  it  is  with  them  abroad,  what  they 
have  done  there,  and  how  they  have  done 
it.  Like  Paul  and  Barnabas,  they  tell  the 
churches  at  home  what  the  Lord  has  wrought 
by  their  hands  in  heathen  countries,  and  of 
the  Christian  fellowship  and  sympathy  en- 
joyed in  the  field  of  their  common  labors. 
Besides,  the  letters  and  appeals  of  mis- 
sionary brethren,  showing  their  success,  and 
the  catholic  spirit  in  which  the  work  has 
been  done,  have  a   tendency  to  benefit  the 


FEWER  TEMPTATIONS.  335 

churches  at  home,  in  promoting  the  mission- 
ary spirit,  and  the  kindred  feeling  of  Chris- 
tian brotherhood. 

We  are  led  to  see  how  it  is  with  them 
there  who  are  doing  this  work;  that  they 
cease  from  strife,  co-operate  together,  love 
one  another,  and  are  one  in  their  great 
work ;  and  we  are  forced  to  feel  that  it  ought 
to  be  so  with  us  here  at  home. 

I  admit  that  missionaries  have  fewer 
temptations  to.  sectarian  jealousy  than  we 
have  in  this  country.  They  have  stronger 
motives  to  Christian  fellowship,  if  possible, 
than  we  have  in  the  midst  of  our  gospel 
institutions  and  free  civilization.  Although 
their  fields  are  often  contiguous,  they  are 
not  usually  identical, —  as  they  not  unfre- 
quently  are  in  this  country.  Then*  work  is 
less  mixed,  is  more  separate  and  simple  than 
ours ;  and  hence  it  ofiers  fewer  temptations 
to  strife.  Their  example,  however,  should 
be  none  the  less  influential  with  us  on  this 
account ;  for  temptation  never  afibrds  a  valid 


336  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

excuse  for  wrong-doing,  neither  do  motives 
and  facilities  take  essentially  from  the  virtue 
of  right-doing.  The  spirit  of  consecration 
that  took  these  missionaries  to  their  distant 
fields,  tends  to  lift  them  above  the  spirit  of 
sectarianism  and  the  bitterness  of  party 
strife.  A  disinterested  motive  constrained 
them,  and  a  spiritual  influence  sustains  them. 
And  wherever  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  is,  there 
is  unity  as  well  as  liberty.  It  was  a  Eang 
they  went  out  under  to  the.  war.  It  is  a 
warfare  that  admits  of  various  armor  and 
styles  of  service.  It  perhaps  demands  these. 
It  is  a  kingdom  of  righteousness  and  of 
peace  they  went  to  build  up.  And  no 
wonder  they  are  not  disposed  to  turn  their 
armor  and  forces,  needed  wholly  in  the  com- 
mon warfare,  against  each  other  !  The  spirit 
of  the  prophets  is  subject  to  the  prophets. 
I  do  not  affirm  that  these  things  are 
strictly  true  in  every  mission  field ;  or  that 
the  great  tempter  has  never  tried  his  skill 
on  missionary  ground,  nor  sown  the  seeds  of 


NOT  AMALGAMATION.  337 

discord  and  jealousy  there.  I  only  say  that 
where  this  has  been  done,  it  is  a  marked 
exception  to  the  general  facts  in  the  case. 
jMy  statement  is  general,  that  the  positive 
influence  of  the  foreign  missionary  work  as 
tending  to  Christian  union,  through  the 
example  and  spirit  of  those  in  the  field,  has 
been  most  happy  upon  the  churches  at  home. 
It  has  been  so  every  way, —  in  awakening 
the  spirit  of  Christian  enterprise,  in  quicken- 
ing the  graces  of  the  churches,  and  in  pro- 
moting the  spirit  of  Christian  union  and 
charity: 

I  do  not  arofue  that  relii^ious  denominations 
themselves  should  be  disbanded.  I  have 
no  faith  in  any  broad-church  principle  or 
enterprise,  nor  in  any  so-called  undenomi- 
national organizations.  Ko  permanent  good 
will  come  at  present  in  any  such  way. 
Christian  union  is  not  so  reached.  It  is 
union,  and  not  blending.  It  is  unity 
in  spirit,  und  not  in  organization.  The 
law    of    progress    in    the    church,    is    not 

22 


338  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

towards  unity  in  simplicity,  but  towards 
unity  in  diversity !  It  is  not  elemental  but 
spiritual  oneness.  It  is  the  Spirit  that 
maketh  one.  The  unity  that  has  proportion 
and  grandeur  has  diversity,  variety  !  It  is 
life  —  not  shape — that  gives  unity.  It  is 
unity  in  variety,  or  variety  working  into 
unity,  that  is  wanted  in  the  church  now. 
It  is  the  selfishness  and  bitterness  of  the 
sects,  and  not  their  existence  and  form, 
that  should  pass  away.  Not  sect,  but  sec- 
tarianism should  cease.  This  shall  be  de- 
stroyed by  the  brightness  of  his  coming. 

The  Christian  orders  should  have  a  bet- 
ter understanding  among  themselves.  They 
should  have  a  Christian  sense  or  common- 
sense,  that  would  lead  them  to  feel  that  the 
things  in  which  they  are  agreed,  are  greater 
than  those  in  which  they  difibr.  Then  they 
would  be  led  to  make  more  of  their  agree- 
ments, and  less  of  their  differences.  Let 
them  see  how  much  there  is  that  unites  them, 
and  how  little  there  is  that  divides   them, 


TEST  OF  CHARACTER.  339 

and  there  would  be  more  of  close  commun- 
ion, and  less  of  closed  communion ! 

We  are  disposed  to  place  this  among  the 
many  good  influences  that  have  come  to  us 
from  foreign  missions.  The  missionaries 
abroad  have  given  us  an  example  of  Chris- 
tian sacrifice,  and  are  teaching  us  lessons  of 
Christian  love  and  good  will.  We  are  learn- 
ing from  them  in  these  respects.  There  has 
been,  as  a  result,  a  wider  and  heartier  co- 
operation on  the  part  of  Christians  of  the 
different  orders,  in  doing  our  home  work. 
We  are  happy  to  ascribe  these  influences, 
first  to  the  spirit  of  Christ,  the  great  master- 
builder,  and  then,  secondarily,  to  those  who 
are  acting  according  to  his  last  command  in 
the  foreign  work,  and  also  accordiug  to 
the  spirit  of  his  prayer  that  all  might  be 
one. 

I  will  add  in  this  connection,  as  showing 
the  value  of  the  missionary  work,  that  it 
serves  as  a  sort  of  test  to  Christian  char- 
acter.    This  is  true  with  respect  to  bodies 


340  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

of  Christians,  and  to  professed  Christians 
themselves.  It  is  of  the  nature  of  a 
standard,  or  touchstone,  to  prove  the  gen- 
uineness of  religious  sects,  the  spirit  and 
thorousrhness  of  their  faith  and  service.  A 
religious  denomination,  at  this  day,  brings 
itself  into  doubt  as  to  the  purity  of  its  faith 
and  the  earnestness  of  its  service  for  Christ, 
that  declines  this  service  of  foreign  missions. 
Since  the  church  awoke  to  the  work  of  mis- 
sions in  these  last  times,  the  response  which 
this  call  of  Providence  has  met  from  Chris- 
tian denominations  and  churches  can  be 
properly  taken  as  a  test  of  their  earnestness 
and  faithfulness  in  the  Christian  service. 
We  would  naturally  expect  that  any  sect  that 
had  lost  out  of  its  life  some  essential  ele- 
ment, or  had  embraced  fundamental  errors, 
would  fail  in  this  great  Christian  enterprise. 
It  takes  faith  to  do  the  work  of  faith.  It 
takes  faith  to  do  the  work  of  missions.  It 
demands  a  high  type  of  Christian  character 
and  consecration  to  carry  forward  this  Chris- 


FAITH  AND    WORKS.  341 

tian  warfare  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  against 
such  grave  obstacles  and  discouragements. 
Hence  the  presence  of  missions  serves  as  a 
test  or  proof  of  Christian  loyalty. 

We  would  err  on  the  side  of  charity  rather 
than  at  its  sacrifice  ;  but  we  are  forced  to  the 
conviction  that  religious  bodies,  having  ability 
and  a  membership  equal  to  the  undertaking, 
that  do  nothing  in  the  work  of  foreign  mis- 
sions, to  which  Christ  commanded  his  fol- 
lowers, cannot  be  regarded  at  this  day  as  a 
Christian  power  in  the  world. 

Habitual  disobedience  to  a  positive  com- 
mand of  Christ,  where  the  excuse  of  ignorance 
or  lack  of  opportunity  cannot  be  urged,  must 
be  regarded  as  prejudicial  to  a  sound  Chris- 
tian-character. He  who  obeys  not,  is  as  far 
from  God  as  he  who  believes  not.  The  lack 
of  works  really  proves  a  defect  in  the 
faith,  so  a  defective  faith  is  betrayed  by  the 
failure  of  works.  The  leaven  of  error  in  a 
religious  body  would  naturally  be  accom- 
panied by  inefficiency  in  the  performance  of 


342  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

high  Christian  duty.  Such  is  the  relation 
of  faith  and  works,  that  the  absence  of  the 
one  demonstrates  the  absence  of  the  other. 
It  is  so  in  the  individual,  it  is  the  same  with 
the  denomination.  Now  that  the  light  has 
come,  and  the  world  is  open,  and  opportuni- 
ties to  enter  the  great  harvest  field  are 
multiplied,  the  Christian  sect,  or  professed 
believer,  that  declines  this  work,  or  stands 
aloof  from  it,  does  not  give  good  evidence 
of  loyalty  to  Christ.  I  would  discriminate 
here,  where  the  claim  of  ignorance  or  of  ina- 
bility can  be  set  up.  I  am  forced,  also,  to 
make  exceptions  in  behalf  of  individuals  who 
have  stood  forth  as  distinguished  from  the 
orders  with  which  they  are  connected,  by 
the  spirit  of  a  catholic  unity  and  interest  in 
the  foreign  missionary  work.  There  are  those 
who  have  given  the  highest  possible  proof 
of  zeal  and  sincerity  in  this  work.  I  could 
name  persons,  if  it  were  proper  to  do  so, 
distinguished  in  character  and  attainments, 
who    are    marked   exceptions    to    the  com- 


THE  JESUITS.  343 

inunions    with    which    they    are   nominally 
connected. 

But  the  Jesuits  have  shown  great  zeal  in 
missions,  it  may  be  claimed;  and  if  this 
work  is  to  be  put  forth  as  a  test,  in  any  good 
sense,  of  Christian  faith  and  earnestness,  we 
must  take  these  also  into  our  fellowship. 

It  is  necessary  to  look  at  the  terms  used. 
Have  the  Jesuits  ever  engaged  in  the  work 
of  missions  in  the  Bible  sense  of  the  work  ? 
They  have  compassed  sea  and  land  to  make 
proselytes,  not  to  Jesus  Christ,  but  to  the 
Pope  at  Kome.  They  seek  to  bring  men, 
not  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  into  the 
Catholic  church.  And  wherever  the  Eoman 
Catholics  go  on  their  proselyting  work,  they 
antagonize  ao^ainst  Protestant  missions,  they 
seek  to  exterminate  them,  root  and  branch. 
It  seems  absurd,  therefore,  to  call  things  so 
opposite  and  antagonistic  in  purpose  and 
spirit,  by  the  same  name.  If  those  are  mis- 
sionaries who  substitute  the  wood  of  the 
cross  for  the  doctrine  of  the  cross,  who  con- 


344  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

vert  men  to  the  Pope  and  the  church,  rather 
than  to  Christ  and  his  kingdom,  and  every- 
where antagonize  against,  and  exterminate 
if  possible,  the  true  work  and  church  of 
Christ, —  if  we  give  the  name  of  missionaries 
to  such,  then  it  would  seem  impossible,  by 
any  propriety  of  speech,  to  apply  these  names 
to  those  engaged  in  the  great  Christian  work 
of  the  age. 

We  cannot  properly  call  one  a  mission- 
ary who  is  sent  forth  for  any  other  purpose 
than  to  bring  men  to  Christ.  Where  any 
other  object  than  this  inspires  the  move- 
ment, it  cannot  be  styled  a  missionary 
movement.  The  persons  engaged  in  it  are 
not  missionaries,  but  emissaries  rather,  nor 
are  the  denominations  thus  ensrao^ed  entitled 
to  be  regarded  as  missionary  bodies. 

This  test  to  which  religious  denominations 
are  brought  here,  is  one  to  which  professed 
Christians,  also,  I  have  said,  may  be  brought. 
Interest  in  the  work  of  missions  is  a  gospel 
test.     There  is  perhaps  a  degree  of    igno- 


PROOF  WANTING.  345 

ranee  that  lingers  in  the  Christian  church, 
that  requires  some  charity.  God  winks  at 
sins  of  ignorance,  and  at  neglects  of  duty 
that  come  in  consequence  of  it; — but  now 
commands  men  everywhere  to  repent,  and 
do  the  works  of  faith.  A  professed  Christian 
at  this  time,  having  knowledge  and  ability, 
that  does  nothing  in  the  way  of  missions, 
gives  questionable  proof  of  love  to  Christ. 
How  can  one  have  love  to  the  Redeemer, 
who  lives  in  habitual  disregard  of  his  king- 
dom, and  in  known  disobedience  to  his  last 
command  ?  What  proof  can  one  give  of  love 
to  Christ,  who  makes  no  personal  sacrifice  to 
publish  his  gospel,  and  carry  the  news  of 
salvation  to  a  lost  world,  —  who  gives 
nothing  and  does  nothing  to  save  the 
perishing?  Can  such  claim  that  they  are 
controlled  by  Christian  principle,  or  the 
golden  rule  of  Christ?  If  they  themselves 
were  idolators,  were  wallowing  in  the  abom- 
inations of  heathenism,  would  they  not  wish, 
judging    from  their    present  stand-point  of 


346  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

intelligence,  that  the  gospel  should  be  sent 
to  them  in  the  quickest  possible  time? 
Would  such  be  willing  to  be  left  to  perish 
in  ignorance?  Then  they  ought  to  do  as 
they  would  in  reason  wish  that  others  should 
do  for  them  in  a  change  of  circumstances. 

Missions  were  sent  to  our  ancestors.  Thus 
we  have  our  Christian  civilization.  Was 
that  a  right  movement?  If  so,  are  we  not 
bound  to  do  the  same  ourselves  for  those 
who  are  still  in  heathenism?  Pagans  now 
need  Christianity  as  much  as  our  ancestors 
did.  It  would  do  them  as  much  good  as  it 
did  us  anciently.  They  have  as  good  a  right 
to  it  as  from  us,  as  our  ancestors  had  from 
others,  in  their  day.  We  have  no  more 
right  to  withhold  the  gospel  from  the  half  of 
the  world  now  in  ignorance,  than  the  church 
thirteen  hundred  years  ago  had  to  withhold  it 
from  our  forefathers.  Our  interest  in  this 
Avork,  therefore,  may  be  taken  as  a  test  of 
our  Christian  discipleship.  That  is  of  value 
to  the   church  of   Christ,   and  to   professed 


INTEREST   EVIDENT.  347 

believers  in  Christ,  that  supplies  a  standard 
of  correct  moral  judgment.  Interest  in  the 
missionary  work  may,  indeed,  be  assumed, 
and  hence  become  hypocritical.  But  the 
lack  of  interest  is  never  assumed.  If  it 
seems  to  exist,  it  really  exists,  and  is  a  most 
painful  proof  of  want  of  love  and  loyalty  to 
Christ.  And  that  which  acts  as  the  fan,  to 
test  the  wheat  or  chaff  upon  the  floor,  has  a 
worth  on  this  account.  Tests,  ordeals  are 
useful;  and  nowhere  more  so  than  in  the 
spiritual  kingdom. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

MORE   DIRECT  mTLUENCE  OF  MISSIONS  ON  THE 
SPIRITUALITY   OF   THE    CHURCHES. 

•What  Demonstrates  the  Purity  op  Christianity 
Affects  Religion  —  Influence  of  Comprehen- 
sive Affection  —  Love  to  Mankind  brings  us 
into  Union  with  Christ  —  Different  Eorms  op 
World  love  —  Missions  Arrest  Worldliness  in 
the  Churches. 


SPEAI^  now  of  the  more  direct 
influence  of  foreign  missions  upon 
the  prosperity  and  spirituality  of  the 
churches  at  home.  Whatever  tends  to 
promote  the  standard  of  piety  in  the 
churches,  is  not  only  a  personal  but  a 
national  blessing.  It  is  good  for  this  life, 
it  is  good  for  the  life  to  come.  It  afiects 
religion,  it  afiects  civilization.  For  Chris- 
tianity is  the  grand  conservative   power  in 


CHRISTIAN  TESTS.  349 

our  civilization.  It  is  the  central  influence 
for  good  in  the  nation.  This  influence 
is  omnipresent.  It  reaches  every  thing. 
Christians  are  as  the  salt  of  every  com- 
munity. And  whatever  adds  to  the  force 
of  this  element  of  power  and  preservation 
is  a  positive  blessing.  Whatever  raises  the 
standard  of  piety,  and  improves  the  quality 
of  Christian  character,  is  a  blessing  to  man- 
kind. 

The  purer  Christianity  is,  the  more  efi*ec- 
tive ;  the  more  genuine  and  free,  the  more 
aofOTessive  and  enersretic.  The  lisrht  that 
blesses  the  world  is  a  light  that  shines  I 
The  more  brilliant,  the  wider  the  circumfer- 
ence reached  by  it.  It  is  proved  thus  to  be 
the  li<2:ht  of  heaven  and  the  liorht  of  the  world. 
That  which  becomes  the  light  of  the  whole 
world  is  certainly  a  light  from  heaven.  So 
whatever  tends  to  make  the  light  of  the 
church  shine  more  brightly  and  beneficently 
on  earth,  becomes  a  blessing  to  man,  and  on 
the  broadest  scale.      The  missionary  spirit 


350  THESE  FOE   THOSE. 

has  this  tendency.  It  reacts  usefully  and 
healthfully  upon  the  character  and  heart. 
An  objective  enterprise  of  such  moral  gran- 
deur kindles  the  affections  and  strengthens 
religious  principle  and  purpose.  Love  to 
a  lost  world  in  positive  and  useful  exer- 
cise, marks  the  presence  of  the  Christian 
graces  not  only,  but  gives  them  a  healthier 
activity.  The  spark  of  missionary  fire 
from  afar  that  had  caught  in  the  languid 
piety  of  the  church,  tends  to  kindle  its  piety 
to  a  flame.  It  is  of  the  nature  of  true  relig- 
ion that  it  should  be  so.  Love  is  the  fire 
within  ;  and  the  graces  of  religion  will  glow 
and  expand,  if  love,  disinterested  and  en- 
larged, burn  within,  and  reach  out  toward 
a  lost  world. 

The  amount  and  purity  of  love  is  index- 
ical  of  the  entire  character.  The  greatest  of 
these  is  charity.  It  is  the  test  of  all,  the 
proof  of  all,  the  presence,  the  promise  of  all. 
The  comprehensive  includes  the  particular. 
Love  is  the  beam  from  heaven ;  and  the  sev- 


EFFECT  OF   WORLD-LOVE.  351 

eral  graces  are  the  distinct  colors  that  com- 
^.  pose  it.  This  grand  affection  includes  the 
specific  graces.  Where  there  is  love  to  Christ 
in  the  heart,  we  love  like  Christ ;  we  shall 
love  all  that  he  loved.  Christ's  love  compre- 
hended a  world.  Christian  love  does  the 
same.  Else  it  is  not  genuine.  Such  love  is 
not  local,  narrow,  selfish,  but  expansive  and 
all-embracing.  Hence  its  profitableness  unto 
all  things.  For  where  this  broad,  grand  prin- 
ciple of  love  abounds,  this  comprehensive 
charity,  this  world-love,  —  there  will  be  the 
growth  of  each  particular  affection,  there 
will  be  prompt  interest  in  every  thing  per- 
taining to  mankind.  This  all-regulating 
principle,  like  a  steady  central  wheel,  is  felt 
in  all  the  practical  operations  and  duties  of 
religion,  and  in  all  the  useful  affairs  and 
movements  of  human  life. 

In  the  moral  world  as  in  the  natural, 
effects  become  causes,  as  well  as  follow 
causes.  They  are  causes  to  still  higher 
effects  and  grander  ends,  which  in  their  turn 


352  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

become  a  yet  mightier  motive-power  in  the 
universe.  Love  carries  the  lesser  graces  up 
to  the  loftiest  standard,  has  an  outlook  upon 
a  lost  world,  and  reaches  forth  to  embrace 
it.  As  the  result  of  such  expansion,  it 
shines  with  intenser  light  and  warmth  upon 
all  the  graces  and  qualities  of  the  soul,  and 
all  that  is  lovely  in  society  and  the  world. 
Such  love  to  the  world  in  practical  exercise 
is  necessary  to  bring  us  into  relationship  to 
Christ.  Ha  was  the  Saviour  '  of  all  men ; 
tasted  death  for  every  man ;  was  the  propitia- 
tion for  our  sins,  and  not  for  our  sins  only, 
but  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.  The  love 
that  is  truly  Christlike  is  love  for  the  whole 
world.  It  is  love  like  Christ's  that  brings  us 
into  sympathy  with  him,  into  identity  with 
him.  It  leads  us  to  imitate  him,  and  to  suffer 
for  him,  and  for  the  perishing  everywhere.  It 
brings  us  into  obedience  to  his  command- 
ments. It  brings  us  into  co-operation  and 
companionship  with  him  in  his  kingdom. 
Christ's  love  was  a  world-love,  and  our  love, 


IDENTIFIES  US   WITH  CHRIST.  353 

to  bo  like  his,  must  be  a  love  for  the  whole 
world.  When  the  mind  and  heart  open  them- 
selves to  take  in  the  whole  world,  then  we 
think  as  Christ  thought,  we  feel  as  he  felt,  we 
act  as  he  acted,  and  suffer  cheerfully  in  our 
degree,  as  He  suffered  in  his.  And  thus,  en- 
tering into  his  sympathy,  we  come  to  be  like 
Christ.  And  to  be  like  Christ,  we  need  this 
cause  of  missions  to  give  us  the  fullness  and 
expansion  of  Christ's  love,  and  to  lead  us  to 
the  highest  Christian  exercise  and  sacrifice. 
This  enterprise  orbs  out  this  love  in  its  earth 
view  and  embrace.  So  Christ's  plans  be- 
come our  plans,  his  purposes  our  purposes, 
his  spirit  our  spirit,  his  kingdom  our  king- 
dom. We  do  not  follow  Christ,  till  we 
come  to  love  as  he  loved,  and  act  as  he 
acted.  We  do  not  obey  Christ  till  we  love 
those  whom  he  loved,  and  those  whom  he 
bade  us  to  love,  and  all  those  whom  he  bade 
us  to  love.  Then  are  we  ready  to  accept 
the  conditions  of  discipleship  on  Christian 
terms,  by  laboring  and  suffering  for  a  world, 
as  did  the  Master  whom  we  follow. 

23 


'654:  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

So  this  world-love  is  the  opposite  of 
love  for  this  world,  in  the  common  and 
natm^al  sense.  That  is  disinterested,  this  is 
selfish.  The  one  is  holy,  the  other  sinful 
love.  The  former  is  commanded,  the  latter 
forbidden.  Every  thing  pertaining  to  the 
character  and  destiny  depends  on  the  kind 
of  world  we  have  in  the  heart; — whether 
it  be  the  world  we  are  commanded  to  love, 
or  the  one  we  are  forbidden  to  love ;  the 
world  we  are  to  labor  for  and  save,  or 
the  world  we  are  commanded  to  crucify, 
with  the  afiections  and  lusts.  Genuine  love 
for  this  world  creates  heavenly-mindedness  ; 
the  selfish  love  of  it  is  the  substance  of 
worldliness.  The  kind  of  world-love  we 
exercise  determines  our  moral  character  and 
destiny.  As  is  the  world  within  us,  — 
which  we  seek  and  love,  — so  are  we.  The 
wrong  world  in  the  heart,  the  affections  are 
corrupted,  narrowed,  congealed.  No  virtue 
can  grow  there,  nor  good  quality  ;  no  good 
sympathy  nor  purpose.     It  is  a  cheerless. 


THE  RIGHT  WORLD.  355 

sunless  world,  a  starless,  breathlesi^  one. 
Its  elements  and  influences  are  evil  and 
only  evil.  The  love  of  this  world  worketh 
death. 

But  the  right  world  in  the  heart,  the  world 
that  God  made,  and  Christ  redeemed,  this 
perishing,  pleading,  sinking  world,  —  and 
the  afiections  are  made  better  for  it;  they 
are  expanded  to  a  higher  orbit,  and  a  larger 
exercise  and  experience.  There  is  room  in 
that  heart  for  all  else  that  is  good.  It  is  not 
a  cold,  cheerless,  sunless  world  that  revolves 
there,  without  heavens  or  star  or  law  !  No  : 
there  is  an  overspreading  heavens,  resplen- 
dent to  the  spiritual  eye. 

Now,  the  missionary  spirit  settles  this 
point  as  to  the  kind  of  world  we  have  within 
us.  There  are  afiections  that  respond  to 
these  opposite  worlds ;  aiTections  that  repre- 
sent them,  and  illustrate  them,  till  the  one 
class  or  the  other  ultimately  prevails.  The 
disinterested  affection  goes  out  toward  a 
world  in  sin,  the  selfish  affection  toward  a 


356  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

world  of  sin.  The  one  affection  is  Christ- 
like and  comprehensive  ;  the  other  is  earthy 
and  devilish. 

The  foreign  mission  work  had  a  mighty 
influence,  half  a  century  ago,  in  arresting  the 
decay  of  the  churches  of  New  England.  The 
drift  was  toward  formality  and  rationalism. 
Spirituality  had  fearfully  declined.  That 
work  led  to  noble  Christian  enterprises  in 
various  directions.  These  gave  the  churches 
something  to  do  that  was  practicable  and 
spiritual  and  worthy  of  their  calling.  This 
movement  awakened  Christian  thought  and 
interest.  It  deepened  religious  experience. 
So  this  grand  movement  exerted  a  conserva- 
tive influence  to  arrest  the  downward  course 
of  things  in  the  church.  It  was,  perhaps, 
the.  weight  that  turned  the  vast  scale  then 
hanging  in  suspense,  and  thus  saved  the 
churches  of  our  land  from  a  total  defection 
from  the  faith.  But  it  is  impossible  for  us 
now  to  keep  our  standing  on  the  ground 
where  the  churches  stood  fifty  years   ago. 


TRUE  CHARITY.  357 

Our. candlestick  would  be  soon  moved  out  of 
its  place.  Ours  is  an  age  of  light  and 
motive,  of  opportunity,  obligation,  and 
progress.  We  cannot  screen  ourselves  be- 
hind the  indifference  and  apathy  of  past 
generations.  Our  religion  should  adapt 
itself  to  our  circumstances  and  exigencies, 
and  the  grand  opportunities  before  us.  It 
has  need  to  be  self-forgetting,  out-reaching 
and  all-embracing;  and  not  self-conscious, 
self-tending  and  world-worshiping.  If 
charity  begins  at  home,  it  does  not  stay  at 
home,  but  goes  out  everywhere,  like  the 
Great  Master,  to  do  good  to  all.  Home- 
bound,  home-sick  charity,  that  demoralizes 
the  courage  and  purposes,  that  shrinks  from 
enterprise,  and  shirks  responsibility  and  suf- 
fering, is  not  the  true  grace.  It  should  not 
nave  the  name  of  charity,  but  some  synonym 
of  selfishness.  For  what  though  this  great 
work  was  to  begin  at  Jerusalem,  it  was  not 
to  end  there,  nor  to  stay  there  even  till 
Jerusalem    itself  was    converted.     No,  the 


358  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

standard  was  to  move  forward  and  onward ; 
it  was  to  be  set  up  among  the  gentiles. 
Our  standard  is  to  have  on  its  folds  the 
motto  —  "  For  a  World  !  " 

The  love  that  goes  out  to  a  lost  world 
will  be  careful  indeed  for  the  lesser  inter- 
ests of  society  and  of  charity.  It  will 
embrace  home  and  country  and  self  even. 
Here  again  is  seen  the  profitableness  of  this 
comprehensive  afiection  or  missionary  spirit. 
That  which  embraces  the  whole  includes  the 
parts,  and  reaches  all  lesser  interests.  The 
disinterested  is  always  comprehensive.  The 
test  of  pure  attachment,  and  the  touchstone 
of  true  character,  is  this  tendency  to  the 
disinterested  in  our  affections  and  activi- 
ties. 

A  proper  self-love  is  distinguished  from 
ordinary  selfishness  by  its  tendency  to 
fellowship  in  things  excellent,  and  in  its 
natural  affiliation  with  the  human  race.  It 
harmonizes  with  love  to  others.  Natural 
affection,  though  innocent,    is   not  disinter- 


DISINTERESTEDNESS.  359 

ested  affection  ;  but  it  is  in  harmony  with  it, 
is  consistent  with  it,  is  not  indeed  consistent 
till  identified  with  it.  The  natural  affections 
never  appear  in  their  beauty,  till  they  come 
to  be  blended  with  disinterested  love  that 
embraces  a  perishing  world. 

Disinterestedness,  it  has  been  remarked, 
is  the  one  grand  feature  of  the  missionary 
movement ;  and  its  exercise  in  behalf  of 
a  world  becomes,  by  a  spiritual  law,  a 
blessing  to  those  who  enter  into  the  spirit 
of  this  work  at  home.  This  element  of 
disinterestedness,  without  which  the  mission- 
ary enterprise  were  impossible,  is  itself  the 
mainspring  of  the  moral  affections.  It  gives 
strength  and  tone  to  Christian  character ; 
it  gives  health  and  inspiration  to  all  humane 
sentiments.  It  medicates  in  the  moral  na- 
ture, gives  force  and  firmness  to  the  faltering 
affections.  Every  form  of  disinterested  labor 
in  the  world  reacts  upon  the  great  Christian 
body,  and  upon  each  individual  heart. 
Such     out-reaching,     self-forgetting      effort 


360  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

gives    breadth    to   the    soul,  and   power  to 
the  Christian  life.i 

This  grand  movement  has  promoted  our 
civilization ;  it  has  helped  us  as  a  nation ; 
it  has  blessed  our  land  in  all  its  interests ; 

^  It  has  been  said  that  the  hand  follows  the  heart ;  it 
is  true,  also,  that  the  heart  may  follow  the  hand.  A 
disinterested  act  arouses  disinterested  affection.  The 
tongue,  too,  follows  the  heart,  and  indicates  the  heart 
Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh. 
Words  on  the  other  hand  react  upon  the  heart.  Eight 
utterances,  warm  expressions  of  disinterested  desire 
move  the  heart.  Outward  expressions  cast  their  im- 
age, and  stamp  their  likeness  upon  the  tablets  within. 
The  influence  is  reciprocal.  Causes  and  effects  have 
an  inter-play,  or  change  places  on  the  moral  scene. 
Such  are  we,  and  such  the  mechanism  with  which  our 
responsibility  is  connected.  The  kind  of  work  in 
which  we  are  engaged  has  an  influence  upon  the  moral 
affections  and  character.  It  cannot  but  be  so.  The 
moral  character  of  the  foreign  missionary  enterprise, 
as  a+disinterested  work  done  for  a  lost  world,  must 
needs  have  the  goodliest  influence  upon  the  persons 
engaged  in  it.  It  brings  into  exercise  the  noblest 
affections  of  man.  Its  influence  upon  the  Christian 
religion  in  this  age,  and  upon  the  piety  of  the  church 
of  Christy  cannot  be  questioned. 


RESULTANT  mFLUENCE.  361 

but,  best  of  all,  and  including  all,  it  has 
quickened  personal  piety.  It  has  given 
exercise  to  all  practical  godliness.  It  has 
cultivated  sympathies  and  quickened  affec- 
tions that  are  of  priceless  worth  in  the 
church  and  in  the  world.  That  which  we 
do  for  others  spiritually,  is  indeed  done 
for  ourselves  alsoi  What  the  churches  and 
denominations  do  for  the  advancement  of 
Christianity  in  the  world,  is  done  for  them- 
selves in  the  way  of  their  own  strength- 
ening. This  resultant  influence  of  the 
missionary  work  is  invaluable.  The  reflex 
spiritual  benefits  of  Christian  missions  upon 
the  churches  and  persons  that  support  them 
is  a  large  item  in  their  value  to  the  world. 
Christian  nations  will  themselves  be  evangel- 
ized thoroughly  only  in  the  work  of  evange- 
lizing the  heathen  nations.  The  reflex  influ- 
ence upon  a  church  or  christian  community, 
of  entering  upon  some  great  objective  enter- 
prise that  accords  with  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity and  their  sense  of  responsibility,  is 


362  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

one  of  the  sure  spiritual  results  of  such  an 
enterprise,  in  its  rebound  upon  those  who 
move  in  it. 

Says  Andrew  Fuller  :  "  There  was  a  period 
in  my  ministry  marked  by  the  most  pointed 
systematic  efforts  to  comfort  my  serious 
people;  but  the  more  I  tried  to  comfort 
them,  the  more  they  complained  of  doubts 
and  darkness.  I  knew  not  what  to  do,  nor 
what  to  think,  for  I  had  done  my  best  to 
comfort  the  mourners  in  Zion.  At  this  time 
it  pleased  God  to  direct  my  attention  to  the 
claims  of  the  perishing  heathen  in  India ; 
I  felt  that  we  had  been  living  for  ourselves, 
and  not  caring  for  their  souls.  I  spoke  as  I 
felt.  My  serious  people  wondered  and  wept 
over  their  past  inattention  to  the  subject. 
They  began  to  talk  about  a  Baptist  mission. 
The  females  especially  began  to  collect 
money  for  the  spread  of.  the  gospel.  We 
met  and  prayed  for  the  heathen  ;  met  and 
considered  what  could  be  done  amons;  our- 
selves  for  them ;  met  and  did  what  we  could. 


ANDREW  FULLER.  363 

And    whilst    all  this    was    going    on,    the 
lamentation  ceased.     The  sad  became  cheer- 
ful,   and    the   desponding    calm.      No   one 
complained  of  a  want  of  comfort.     And  I, 
instead  of  having  to  study  how  to  comfort 
my  flock,   was  myself  comforted  by  them. 
They  were  drawn  out  of  themselves.    That 
was   the    real    secret.      God  blessed   them 
while  they  tried  to  be  a   blessing. 
-  "  The  thought  of  having  done  something 
towards    enlarging    the   boundaries    of    our 
Saviour's    kingdom,    and   of  rescuing  poor 
heathens  and  Mahometans  from  under  Satan's 
yoke,  rejoiced  our  hearts.     We  were  glad, 
also,  to  see  the  people  of  God  ofiering  so 
willingly  ;  some  leaving  their  country,  others 
pouring  in  their  property,  and  all  uniting  in 
prayers  to  Heaven  for  a  blessing.     A  new 
bond  of  union  was  formed  between   distant 
ministers    and   churches.       Some    who    had 
backslidden  from  God,  were  restored;  and 
others  who  had  long  been  poring  over  their 
unfruitfulness,   and  questioning   the   reality 


364  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

of  their  personal  religion,  having  their  atten- 
tion directed  to  Christ  and  his  kingdom,  lost 
their  fears,  and  found  that  peace  which  in 
other  pursuits  they  had  sought  in  vain. 
In  short,  our  hearts  were  enlarged ;  and  if 
no  other  good  had  arisen  from  the  under- 
taking than  the  effect  produced  upon  our 
own  minds,  and  the  minds  of  Christians  in 
our  own  country,  it  were  more  than  equal  to 
the  expense." 


CHAPTER    XXin. 

WAYS   IN  WHICH   MISSION  WORK  HAS   AFFECT- 
ED  OUR   PIETY. 

The  Eetur]^  op  Missionaries  —  Lifting  of  the  Pub- 
lic Heart  to  take  in  the  World  —  Effects  ob 
Published  Works  and  Appeals  —  Life  op  Mar- 
TYN  —  Brainard  —  Harriet  Newell  —  The  Jud- 
soNS  — Dr.  Grant  — Miss  Fiskb,  and  other 
Works. 

E  HAVE  seen  the  tendency  of  the 
missionary  spirit  to  awaken  Christian 
zeal,  and  to  transfuse  a  quickened 
Christian  life  into  the  churches.  That  which 
goes  out  from  us  to  bless  others,  as  well  as 
that  which  comes  to  us  from  others,  affects  us 
for  good.  What  we  hear,  as  well  as  what 
we  see,  influences  us,  and  all  the  more  when 
the  delineations  are  lifelike.  The  description 
given  by  returned  missionaries  of  their  field 


366  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

and  work,  of  the  condition  of  the  people  for 
whom  they  labor,  begets  the  liveliest  Chris- 
tian sympathy.  The  account  we  get  from  mis- 
sion fields,  whether  through  correspondence 
in  the  public  journals,  or  in  public  addresses 
from  the  missionaries  themselves,  serves 
to  awaken  a  deeper  sense  of  obligation,  as 
well  as  to  stir  the  sympathies  of  the  heart. 
We  cannot  feel  for  those  of  whom  we  know 
nothing,  or  have  never  heard.  Out  of  sight, 
out  of  mind.  We  must  behold  before  we 
can  pity.  But  the  beholding  in  this  case 
must  be  mainly  through  the  eyes  of  others. 
We  cannot  visit  heathen  lands  ourselves  ;  we 
have  to  rely  on  those  who  have  been  actors 
in  the  scene  of  the  world's  redemption,  for 
the  knowledge  we  have  of  the  necessities 
and  claims  of  the  heathen. 

Very  little  was  known  of  the  spiritual 
condition  of  the  heathen,  till  they  were  vis- 
ited by  missionaries,  and  facts  were  spread 
out  before  the  churches  at  home.  These 
facts  stirred  the  hearts  of  God's  people;  a 


BIOGRAPHIES.  367 

new  sense  of  obligation  was  felt;  Christian- 
ity assumed  a  new  interest.  It  entered  upon 
a  broader  ministry  to  man.  Christians  began 
to  feel  that  the  ignorant  and  neglected  had 
claims  on  them.  New  elements  were  added 
to  prayer.  Breadth  and  fervor  were  given 
to  it.  Men  prayed  for  a  perishing  world,  as 
they  had  never  done  before.  The  spirit  of 
prayer  soon  found  expression  in  correspond- 
ing efforts  to  save  the  world.  It  embodied 
itself  in  the  principle  of  Christian  benevo- 
lence, and  of  personal  sacrifice. 

I  .refer  now  to  publications  and  peri- 
odicals which  the  missionary  work  has 
brought  out.  These  constitute  a  valuable 
portion  of  our  Christian  literature.  They 
have  exerted  a  grand  influence  upon  the 
Christian  mind,  and  upon  the  activity  of  the 
churches. 

The  Life  of  Henry  Martyn,  written  half  a 
century  ago,  embodying  his  best  thoughts, 
his  burning  thoughts,  is  still  a  fresh  book, 
and  was  never  more  useful  in  the  Christian 


368  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

world  than  now.  It  is  in  most  of  our  Chris- 
tian libraries,  and  the  spirit  of  it,  with  its 
leading  sentiments  and  facts,  has  gone  into 
other  channels,  and  thus  into  the  life  of 
our  Christian  literature.  The  contributions 
made  to  science  and  letters  by  his  brief 
labors  in  the  East,  have  an  acknowledged 
value,  though  subordinate  wholly  to  the 
inspiration  given  to  the  Christian  heart  by 
his  earnest  appeals  for  a  perishing  world. 
The  value  and  record  of  his  brief  work  and 
many  sacrifices,  will  not  be  fully  known  till 
the  last  day. 

The  same  is  to  be  said  of  the  life  and  sac- 
rifices of  David  Brainard,  whose  memoirs 
were  written  by  Jonathan  Edwards,  more 
than  a  century  ago.  The  missionary  spirit 
was  a  heavenly  flame  in  his  soul.  He  en- 
tered upon  his  work  among  the  Indians 
with  a  consecration  that  overcame  all  diffi- 
culties and  obstacles,  made  him  insensible 
to  sufiering  and  sacrifice,  and  gave  him  an 
influence,  not  only  among  the  Indians,  but 


BIOGRAPHIES.  369 

throughout  the  Christiau  church  aud  world, 
that  never  could  be  estimated. 

The  life  of  Dr.  Lobdell,  by  Prof.  Tyler  of 
Amherst  College,  has  great  worth  in  giving 
us  a  full  form  view  of  the  Christian  hero  on 
missionary  ground ;  dauntless  in  courage 
and  adventure,  enthusiastic  in  labor  and 
research,  which  enabled  him  to  add  largely 
to  the  scientific  treasures  of  his  Alma  Mater, 
and  to  our  knowledge  of  those  ancient 
lands. 

Look  at  the  brief  life  of  Harriet  Newell, 
the  early  heroine  of  the  missionary  cause, 
without  even  having  entered  practically 
upon  the  work.  Her  brief  and  tender  story, 
written  half  a  century  ago,  has  stirred  the 
heart  of  millions  for  Christ  and  a  dying 
world.  In  hope  deferred,  in  heart-break- 
ings for  missionary  toil,  tossed  upon  those 
unfriendly  seas,  now  hovering  upon  that 
more  unfriendly  coast,  where  a  Christian 
nation  ruled,  but  forbade  the  missionary 
work;   there   she   sank   peacefully  into   the 

24 


370  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

arms  of  death,  to  be  buried  upon  a  tropical 
isle,  greatly  rejoicing  that  she  was  counted 
worthy  to  suffer  for  Christ,  and  devote,  even 
only  in  purpose,  her  life  to  the  missionary 
work.  The  whole  missionary  cause  orbed 
itself  out  in  her  early  consecration  and  tri- 
umphs. 

And  the  Judson  memoirs, — first  of  the 
wife,  then  of  a  second  wife,  then  of  himself, 
and  now  of  the  third  wife, — they  have  a 
rare  interest  for  us,  and  have  made  an  im- 
pression upon  our  Christian  literature  and 
upon  the  Christian  world. 

Turn  to  the  life  of  Dr.  Grant.  He  left  a 
lucrative  business  in  this  country  to  go  to  a 
distant  field;  and,  when  there,  chose  the 
hardest  and  most  perilous  work  of  a  pioneer, 
and  laid  down  his  life  early  upon  the  altar  of 
Christ,  under  the  shadow  of  the  Koordish 
mountains.  The  moral  influence  of  that 
book  is  grand.  It  gives  to  the  world  the 
full-length  portrait  of  a  noble  Christian  hero. 
The     inspiration    that    has    come    of    that 


BIOGRAPHIES.  371 

recorded  life,  who  can  measure,  in  moral 
enthusiasm  aroused,  and  Christian  feeling 
and  consecration  deepened?  These  wait  to 
be  revealed  in  another  world. 

Or  contemplate  the  sainted  Stoddard,  — 
the  ripe  scholar,  the  Christian  gentleman, 
of  high  and  saintly  aspirations,  "the  seraph 
missionary."  Note,  too,  the  writings  and 
toils  of  Fidelia  Fisk ;  of  whom  Dr.  Ander- 
son says  :  "In  the  structure  and  working 
of  her  whole  nature,  she  seemed  to  me  the 
nearest  approach,  I  ever  saw,  in  man  or 
woman,  to  my  ideal  of  our  blessed  Saviour, 
as  he  appeared  in  his  walks  on  earth.  Her 
usefulness  was  as  extraordinary  as  her  char- 
acter." And  now  the  memoir  of  Mr.  Rhea, 
of  the  same  mission,  and  of  the  same  spirit, 
who  has  taken  his  place  in  that  constellation 
of  worthies  that  have  gone  to  their  bright 
home  from  the  Nestorian  field. 

The  Memorial  of  Mrs.  H.  Hamlin,  mis- 
sionary in  Turkey,  by  Mrs.  jMargarette 
W.   Lawrence :     This   work  was    published 


372  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

sixteen  years  ago,  and  has  taken  a  high  rank 
among  missionary  memorials.  Its  influence 
upon  the  Christian  mind,  especially  the  clos- 
ing part  of  it,  that  shows  us  the  glorious 
sunset  of  that  missionary  career,  has  been 
widely  and  happily  felt.  One  has  seldom 
read  the  book  who  has  not  resolved  to  read 
it  a  second  time.  It  throws  a  sort  of  charm 
upon  the  scenery  and  locations  of  the  East, 
not  only,  but  also  upon  missionary  life  and 
Christian  heroism.  Ehodes,  where  she  died, 
and  Patmos  are  associated  now  in  the  Chris- 
tian mind.  The  beloved  disciple  had  visions 
on  the  one ;  another,  of  kindred  spirit,  of 
saintly  character  and  influence,  triumphantly 
closed  her  precious  life,  on  the  other  ! 

The  memorial  of  Henry  Martyn  Adams, 
missionary  to  Western  Africa,  by  Rev.  A. 
Bushnell :  It  is  a  small  volume,  but  does 
not  need  to  be  large  to  do  its  work  of  love 
among  the  churches.  It  enshrines  a  most 
lovely  and  useful  character,  whose  last  days 
were  days  of  communion  with  heaven,  passiug 


BIOGRAPHIES.  373 

verily  and  literally  into  open  vision.  It  is 
recorded  that  the  natives  who  saw  him  die, 
were  profoundly  impressed  with  a  conviction 
of  the  reality  of  the  Christian  religion,  and 
of  a  living  world  above. 

The  memoir  of  Mrs.  Sarah  L.  Smith,  of 
the  mission  in  Syria,  by  Dr.  Hooker,  does 
honor  to  the  missionary  work  and  spirit.  It 
brings  out  into  clearer  light  a  most  intelli- 
gent and  lovely  character,  of  the  sweetest 
influence  upon  the  mission  circle  and  upon 
the  native  mind  and  heart.  Her  letters  had 
large  influence  at  home,  as  unpublished ;  but 
their  sacred  power  has  been  multiplied  a 
thousand-fold  by  the  hand,  heart  and  taste 
of  the  biographer. 

I  ought  not  to  omit  a  volume  —  American 
jVIissionary  Memorial,  Harper  and  Brothers 
—  that  gives  sketches  of  Gorden  Hall,  James 
Richards,  Adoniram  Judson,  Pliny  Fisk, 
Levi  Parsons,  Daniel  Temple,  Azariah  Smith, 
David  Abeel  and  many  others.  This  rich 
volume  has  furnished  material,    in  part,  for 


374  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

many  a  missionary  discourse  and  appeal, 
and  cannot  be  read  without  leaving  the  most 
salutary  impression. 

But  these  are  only  a  part  of  the  published 
memorials  of  deceased  missionaries.  I  do 
not  attempt  to  go  over  the  whole  field  of 
missionary  literature,  nor  to  allude  to  all  the 
books  and  reports  that  have  been  written 
upon  missionary  subjects.  In  passing  over 
the  ground,  I  have  touched  here  and  there  a 
spot  or  object  of  interest  as  an  illustration 
of  the  whole. 

But  the  efiect  of  this  type  of  literature 
upon  the  Christian  mind  and  character  is 
very  great.  Nor  is  this  influence  confined 
to  the  Christian  mind.  This  kind  of  litera- 
ture is  extensively  read  by  people  of  various 
classes.  Its  influence  upon  such  is  most 
salutary,  enlarging  the  sphere  of  their 
knowledge,  impressing  their  minds  with  the 
truth  and  value  of  Christianity,  and  predis- 
posing them  to  embrace  it. 

I   made    reference    under   the    preceding 


MISSIONARY  HERALD.  375 

Topic  to  the  value  of  missionary  periodicals 
as  promoting  science  and  knowledge ;  I 
would  add  now  that  their  value  in  awaken- 
ing the  Christian  mind,  yea,  every  intel- 
ligent reader,  to  a  higher  sense  of  the  worth 
of  the  gospel,  the  power  and  importance 
of  religion,  and  the  grandeur  of  the  mis- 
sionary enterprise  among  the  nations,  is  far 
greater,  and  cannot  be  overrated. 

The  Missionary  Herald  has  exerted  more 
influence  in  these  ways  than  any  other 
missionary  periodical.  The  accuracy  with 
which  it  has  been  edited,  care  and  dis- 
crimination as  to  the  materials  selected, 
the  candor  and  faithfulness  that  characterize 
its  columns,  the  vast  range  of  topics  treated, 
and  the  broad  field  covered;  its  highly 
evangelical  spirit,  together  with  the  wisdom 
of  its  suggestions  and  counsels,  and  of  late, 
its  pictorial  illustrations, — give  this  peri- 
odical the  first  place  of  its  kind  in  the  confi- 
dence of  the  Christian  churches,  and  of  the 
reading  public. 


376  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

Foreign  missions  have  given  us  the 
Monthly  Concert  of  Prayer,  the  family 
altar  scene  of  the  Church,  where  Chris- 
tians, all  over  the  world,  bow  together  to 
plead  for  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ.  N"ext  to  the  Communion  table,  this 
great  Concert  of  Prayer  gives  visible  unity 
to  the  Christian  family,  in  bringing  all  hearts, 
at  the  same  time  and  act,  as  it  were,  to  unite 
in  one  all-absorbing  and  comprehensive  re- 
quest at  the  throne  of  grace. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

NEW  IMPULSE    GIVEN   TO  CHRISTIAN   CHARITY. 

how  it  had  been —  missions  chief  in  this  revival 
—  Christianity  requires  Sacrifice  —  Effect  on 
the  one  who  makes  it  —  effects  on  the 
Worldly  —  Use  of  giving  as  a  Test  —  Effects 
OF  THE  Gospel  on  the  Property  Relation  — 
Through  this  on  our  Welfare  —  Example  op 
Mission  Churches — Giving  a:mong  the  Chil- 
dren. 

I 

HE  work  of  foreign  missions  has 
had  a  tendency  to  promote  the  spirit 
of  Christian  giving.  It  has  thus 
strengthened  the  habit  of  giving.  In  this 
way  it  has  exerted  a  favorable  influence  upon 
individual  character,  and  the  piety  of  the 
church. 

There  was  not  much  of  Christian  giving  till 
the  missionary  work  commenced.     Nor  was 


378  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

the  giving  of  former  days  of  a  character  gen- 
erally to  test  Christian  motives  or  stir  the 
Christian  heart. 

The  foreign  missionary  cause  took  the  lead 
in  the  great  system  of  Christian  charities. 
One  of  the  first  proofs  of  its  happy  reflex 
power  on  the  churches,  was  its  effect  on  their 
benevolence.  There  was  not  much  done  foi 
the  neglected  at  home  till  the  Christian  heart 
had  been  moved  toward  the  more  neglected 
and  needy  abroad.  Christian  beneficence 
had  been  hardly  recognized  as  a  part  of  our 
religion  till  the  condition  of  the  world  had 
been  spread  out  before  the  churches.  Giving 
by  a  fixed  rule,  or  according  to  a  systematic 
method,  had  not  been  regarded  as  a  Christian 
duty  at  all,  much  less  as  a  Christian  ordi- 
nance and  test.  Nor  was  the  idea  of  sacrifice 
in  the  form  of  abstaining  from  hurtful  lux- 
uries, or  the  absurdities  of  fashion,  much 
considered  in  those  times.  Fashion  was  in- 
deed confined  rather  to  aristocratic  circles,  to 
which  the  above  remark  is  intended  rather 


OLDEN  TIME.  379 

to  refer.  Who  ever  heard,  half  a  century  ago, 
of  parting  with  a  fixed  portion  of  one's  annual 
income  to  send  the  gospel  to  the  destitute  ? 
Eeligion  was  a  good  deal  limited  then,  and, 
with  rare  exceptions,  to  the  narrow  circle  of 
home  society,  and  to  the  personal  salvation 
of  the  possessor,  and  its  flame  was  feeble 
just  in  proportion  to  the  narrowness  of  its 
circumference. 

Covetousness  in  those  times  did  not  make 
very  seriously  against  Christian  character. 
Notorious  selfishness  got  into  the  church  and 
had  respectability  there,  scarcely  less  than  in 
the  world  outside.  Benevolence  in  the  way 
of  giving  and  of  sacrifice  for  lost  men,  was 
by  no  means  regarded  as  a  test  of  religious 
character.  Much  less  was  it  thought  of,  in- 
deed, as  the  antidote  to  selfishness  instru- 
mentally,  or  as  tending  to  eradicate  wrong 
aflfections.  The  church  was  sufiering  for 
some  great  and  adequate  work  to  do.  Chris- 
tianity was  lacking  in  the  prime  element  of 
disinterestedness.      It  had,   alas,   folded  in 


380  THESE  FOR    THOSE. 

upon  itself,  and  was  thus  doing  the  work  of 
self-destruction.  A  monopoly  of  it  by  the 
nominal  church  was  hindering  its  develop- 
ment, hardening  its  sympathies,  and  crush- 
ing out  its  life.  Christian  people,  though 
saved  themselves  from  a  savage  state  of  old, 
that  would  have  been  inherited  from  a  heathen 
ancestry  if  the  gospel  had  not  been  sent 
among  them  in  the  form  of  missions,  were 
insensible  to  their  obligation  to  send  that 
same  gospel  in  the  way  of  missions,  to  those 
that  still  remain  in  idolatry.  The  effect  of 
such  indifference  and  inconsistency  upon  the 
church  had  come  to  be  painfully  visible. 
The  foreign  missionary  enterprise  was  there- 
fore opportune  in  its  quickening  effect  upon 
the  churches.  Its  result  was  soon  felt  in  the 
progress  of  religion  in  our  country  and  in 
every  department  of  religious  labor. 

Christianity  is  of  a  nature  that  it  cannot 
be  monopolized.  It  cannot  be  appropriated 
exclusively  by  any  people.  It  demands  the 
opposite   course.      The   having   here   is  by 


GOSPEL   TENDENCIES.  381 

parting ;  the  possessing  is  by  giving ;  arms- 
giving,  heart-giving.     The  tendency  of  the 
gospel  is  to  diffusion,  expansion.     Its  power 
is  centrifugal  mainly,  and  such  working  or 
tendency  is  proof  of  its  genuineness.     Just 
to  the  extent  that  its  circle  is  narrowed,  piety 
is  crippled.     Let  its  office  in  the  soul  and  in 
the  world   be  limited  to  self,   or  our   own 
circle,  and  it  could  scarcely  be  distinguished 
from  mere  selfishness.     Contraction  in  spir- 
itual things  is  suppression ;    non-extension  is 
extinction.     A  gospel  narrowed  is  a  gospel 
perverted.      The     gospel    monopolized     is 
another    gospel    and    not    Christ's.     Chris- 
tianity is  for  the  world,  the  whole  world, 
and  is  to  be  embraced  with  just  this  view  of 
its  nature  and  claims.     And  whatever  tends 
to  correct  our  theory  of  the  gospel  and   of 
religion  practically  in  these  respects,   tends 
to  a  vital  reformation  in  the  church  itself. 
A  gift  from  others  does  not  do  us  any  es- 
sential  good  unless  it  awakens  in  us  the  de- 
sire and  purpose  to  give  to  those  in  like  cir- 


382  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

cumstances  of  need.  Then  the  thing  received 
becomes  a  blessing,  in  awakening  the  spirit 
of  benevolence.  Any  thing  rightly  bestowed 
returns  to  our  own  hand  and  heait.  The 
truly  benevolent  are  their  own  beneficiaries 
in  a  sense,  —  not  intentionally,  but  providen- 
tially. The  gospel  does  not  bless  us  unless 
it  serves  to  make  us  a  blessing  tOt  others. 
Its  influence  does  not  greatly  improve  the 
character,  unless  it  impresses  the  spirit  of 
the  golden  rule  of  Christ  upon  it. 

The  work  of  foreign  missions  has  blessed 
the  nations  abroad  in  giving  them  Christi- 
anity instead  of  paganism.  A  second  grand 
result  of  the  missionary  work  is  in  the  moral 
power  it  has  imparted  to  those  engaged  in  it, 
by  promoting  the  spirit  of  Christian  benevo- 
lence, and  in  giving  breadth  and  depth  to 
Christian  principle.  The  habit  of  Christian 
giving  blesses  our  own  country  as  well  as 
foreign  fields.  It  reaches  every  class  of  suf- 
ferers here  at  honle  ;  the  poor,  the  ignorant, 
the   neglected   and   forgotten.     One   of  the 


AFFECTS  BENEVOLENCE.  383 

capabilities  for  usefulness  in  the  world,  one 
of  the  great  resources  of  good,  lies  in 
the  abundance  men  possess,  and  their  will- 
ingness to  bestow  considerately  and  heartily 
upon  others.  And  whatever  tends  to  utilize 
these  sources  of  good,  and  to  equalize  God's 
bounties,  becomes  a  benefit  to  the  world  and 
every  part  of  it. 

The  effect  of  this  work  of  missions  in 
promoting  the  habit  of  giving,  is  by  no 
means  confined  to  Christians  themselves.  It 
extends  to  others.     It  reaches  the  unresren- 

o 

erate,  and  forms  in  them  the  habit  of  mvinir. 
The  thing  becomes  itself  contagious.  The 
unconverted  in  the  midst  of  gospel  influ- 
ences often  take  on  gospel  ways.  The  grace 
of  benevolence  is  not  in  them,  but  the  out- 
ward habit  or  form  of  it  is  useful.  So  it 
comes  to  pass  that  the  spirit  of  giving  in  the 
Christian  church  tends  to  promote  the  same 
outside  the  church,  and,  in  this  collateral 
way,  becomes  of  great  use  to  the  world. 
The   good    are     the    light    of    the    world, 


384  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

and  the  rays  of  influence  are  reflected  even 
from  the  worldly  themselves.  Light  is  use- 
ful as  reflected.  Christian  light  has  value, 
and  becomes  a  blessing  often,  —  as  reflected 
from  those  who  are  not  Christians.  It  is 
possible  to  experience  religion  in  the  out- 
ward sense,  as  reflected  upon  us  from  others. 
But  it  is  the  experience  of  others'  religion. 
It  affects  the  habits  of  men,  and  may,  ulti- 
mately, the  heart.  It  helps  to  mould  men's 
lives,  if  not  their  principles.  It  is  some- 
thing to  walk  in  the  light  of  others,  and  to 
reflect,  though  feebly,  that  light. 

For  this  life  certainly,  Christianity  is  a 
blessing  to  those  outside  the  church.  There 
is  an  outward,  sympathetic  change  of  charac- 
ter that  comes  from  the  presence  of  Christian 
influences,  and  the  radiance  of  Christian 
light.  These  are  all-pervading,  as  the  at- 
mosphere and  sunlight.  They  affect  the 
habits,  also  the  character  and  the  life.  Men 
of  the  world  are  led  to  do  good  from  the 
example     and     influence  of    others.      The 


GOSPEL  INFLUENCES.  385 

power  of  Christianity  repeats  itself  in  echoes 
of  generous  liberality  and  activity  from  those 
that  are  without. 

If  foreign  missionaries  have  done  good  in 
reviving  the  spirit  of  benevolence  in  the 
churches,  the  light  of  this  good  has  reached 
the  world  outside.  Whatever  promotes 
piety  in  the  church,  promotes  morality  at 
least  outside  the  church.  The  standard  of 
Christianity  cannot  be  elevated  without  a 
corresponding  elevation  of  society  generally. 
It  is  of  great  worth  to  the  world  to  utilize 
its  wealth  and  resources.  And  this  is  the 
proper  tendency  of  Christianity ;  the  great 
Christian  movements  of  the  church  for  the 
world's  salvation,  have  worked  toward  this 
result.  If  so,  who  can  measure  this  good ! 
The  heathen  nations  need  missions,  but 
Christian  nations  need  them  also,  to  counter- 
act selfishness,  to  check  the  waves  of  world- 
liness,  and  give  men  a  work  to  do  that  is 
worthy  of  their  high  calling  and  destiny. 

There  is  no  neutrality  in  the  kingdom  of 

25 


386  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

heaven.  The  Sandwich  Island  savages  had 
already  thrown  away  their  gods  when  the 
missionaries  found  them.  But  they  were 
really  no  better  on  that  account.  The  cast- 
ing away  of  idols  is  really  a  blessing  only 
when  followed  by  the  worship  of  the  true 
God.  The  putting  away  of  the  idolatry  of 
selfishness  or  covetousness  has  need  to  be 
followed  by  the  virtue  of  benevolence.  Na- 
ture nor  grace  allows  a  vacuum.  The  sin  of 
idolatry  so  prevalent  in  Christian  lands,  can 
be  broken  up  in  no  other  way  than  by  the 
growth  of  the  opposite  principle  of  Christian 
charity.  God  does  not  always  take  away 
moral  evils  by  his  spirit  directly,  but  often 
indirectly,  in  the  culture  and  crowding  of 
the  opposite  graces.^ 

^  The  antidote  to  an  evil  is  usually  the  thing  that  is 
most  nearly  its  opposite.  I  am  aware  that  this  is  de- 
nied to  be  true  in  physical  science  and  remedy.  It  is 
maintained  that  like  cures  like,  an  atom  of  the  same  ar- 
rests injurious  disease.  I  have  no  knowledge  here  and 
must  not  judge ;  but  I  am  sure  it  does  not  hold  in 
spiritual  things.    Liko  does  not  heal  like  there.    Moral 


LAW  OF  OPPOSITES.  387 

The  law  of  opposites  prevails  in  the  moral 
kingdom  as  well  as  in  the  natural.  Evil  pas- 
evils  do  not  cure  themselves,  nor  one  another.  They 
may  sometimes  counterwork  each  other,  or  hold  each 
other  in  check  for  a  season.  The  gratification  of  ap- 
petite may  interfere  with  some  other  idolatry  of  the 
heart.  But  the  evil  passions  never  eradicate  the  one 
the  other.  Sinfulness  in  the  soul  is  counteracted  only 
by  the  working  of  its  opposite  there.  It  takes  op- 
posites to  be  antidotes.  Satan  does  not  cast  out  Satan. 
The  great  generic  wickedness  of  the  heart  and  world, 
or  one  form  of  it,  is  covetousness,  selfishness.  The 
Bible  pronounces  this  sin  to  be  idolatry,  and  classes  it 
with  the  things  that  exclude  from  heaven.  Where 
one  has  this  sin  in  the  heart,  how  is  it  to  be  treated  ? 
It  is  idolatry,  how  is  it  to  be  broken  up  ?  It  must  be 
repented  of  and  forsaken,  some  one  will  say.  All  very 
well  and  true  and  scriptural.  But  this  is  not  the 
whole  work.  The  repenting  and  forsaking  are  only 
the  first  steps  in  the  work.  What  indeed  does  the 
Bible  mean  by  the  forsaking  of  the  evil,  but  the  prac- 
tising also  of  the  opposite  virtue  ?  Mere  repenting 
and  forsaking  are  negative  in  their  force,  without  cor- 
responding obedience  and  faithfulness.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  a  vacuum  in  the  spiritual,  any  more  than 
in  the  natural  kingdom.  A  negative  state  is  not  known 
In  moral  things. 


388  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

sions  are  exterminated  or  modified  by  culti- 
vating the  good  affections.  Any  thing  that 
costs  a  sacrifice  tends  to  give  us  character. 
That  which  roots  up  selfishness,  plants  be- 
nevolence ;  and  the  culture  of  benevolence 
kills  out  the  covetous  passions.  Whatever 
crucifies  the  selfish  passions  creates  moral 
principle ;  in  turn,  creating  moral  principle, 
crucifies  the  passions.  That  which  crosses 
the  vile  affections  crushes  them.  And,  pray, 
what  so  crosses  these,  as  the  giving  up  of 
idols?  It  is  profitable  to  do  as  we  were 
created  to  do,  as  we  are  commanded  to  do, 
and  what  will  do  us  and  others  the  greatest 
good.  It  puts  us  upon  a  mount  of  influence, 
and  will  give  us  a  crown  of  blessedness. 

God  works  in  the  spiritual  world  by 
means  of  tests,  as  well  as  opposites  !  Condi- 
tions are  of  the  nature  of  tests.  Love 
stood  for  the  whole  law  under  the  Old 
Testament,  and  faith  is  comprehensive  of 
the  whole  of  religion  under  the  New  Testa- 
ment.    It  is  indexical  as  a  grace,  — denoting 


ONE  FOR  ALL.  389 

the  presence  of  all  the  Christian  virtues. 
All  the  law  is  fulfilled  by  love.  Love  indi- 
cates, yea  includes,  universal  obedience.  Pie 
that  loveth  another  hath  kept  the  whole  law. 
And  faith  that  works  by  love,  nnder  the 
dispensation  of  the  gospel,  stands  for  all  the 
Christian  graces.  It  denotes  their  presence, 
it  is  the  test  of  Christian  character.  By 
grace  are  ye  saved  thiT)ugh  faith.  God  uses 
tests  in  his  kingdom.  He  proves  men. 
These  are  indicative,  representative  and 
counteractive.  God  conditions  salvation  on 
these  tests  or  points,  where  the  soul  most 
needs  conditioning  and  testing.  He  puts 
these  tests  over  against  our  greatest  depravity. 
To  be  saved  there  must  needs  be  submission, 
surrender,  self-renunciation.  These  bear 
against  and  break  down  the  cherished  idola- 
tries of  the  heart.  God  proves  us,  tests  us, 
probes  us.  He  puts  salvation  on  the  ground 
of  personal  submission,  of  self-surrender,  of 
self-emptying  !  In  view  of  these  great  facts, 
we  learn  the   value  of  that  which  the  mis- 


390  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

sionary  work  cultivates ;  large  giving,  heart- 
giving.  Active  benevolence,  in  the  form  of 
disinterestedness,  must  take  the  place  of 
selfishness  within.  Submission  that  empties 
us  of  selfishness  implies  active  obedience. 
Consecration  works  through  devotion  and 
sacrifice.  Self-renunciation  connects  itself 
with  pure  love.  Jt  is  the  taking  of  God's 
will  for  our  own  will.  Renunciation  is  a 
giving  up,  devotion  is  an  ofieriug  up,  of 
what?  talents,  possessions,  all  unto  the  Lord. 

Gospel  tests  are  of  great  things,  and  not 
of  small  things.  They  are  for  the  healing 
of  great  sins,  so  far  as  things  connected 
with  human  agency  go.  God  conditions 
spiritual  welfare  on  the  doing  of  those  things 
that  are  naturally  disagreeable  to  us.  So 
our  sincerity  is  proved,  and  the  character 
benefited.  The  sentiment  that  allows  the 
soul  to  drift  in  all  wrong  ways,  is  neither 
a  proof  nor  a  test  of  Christian  character. 

One  of  the  thins^s  that  most  needs  the 
regulating  influence  of  religion  is  the  prop- 


INFLUENCE  OF  MONEY.  391 

erty  relation.  Covetousness  connects  itself 
with  the  acknowledged  right  to  get  and  to  hold 
property,  —  selfishness  has  its  growth  on 
this  ground.  The  character  is  tested  here. 
Property  is  every  man's  right  in  the  civil- 
ized state.  In  a  restricted  sense,  money 
answereth  all  things.  It  procures  whatever 
selfishness  craves.  If  not  acquired  and 
used  properly,  its  possession  becomes  an 
idolatry.  So  this  gift,  or  the  use  of  it, 
is  a  test  of  character.  It  is  an  occasion 
of  grievous  temptation,  or  of  moral  and 
spiritual  growth.  The  getting  of  property, 
also  the  using  of  property,  are  tests. 
"Whatever  serves  as  a  motive  to  the  right 
use  of  property  in  benevolent  enterprise, 
not  only  benefits  society,  but  strengthens 
moral  principle  and  character.  We  con- 
demn the  getting  of  wealth  in  a  dishonest 
way,  but  are  apt  to  honor  those  who  possess 
it,  though  they  withhold  from  others.  Look 
at  this  matter  in  a  moral  point  of  view. 
Which  is  worse   in  the  sisrht  of  God,   the 


392  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

wrong  getting  of  property,  or  the  wrong 
using  of  it?  Which  is  worse,  to  wrong  men 
in  its  acquisition,  or  to  wrong  them  in  the 
withholding?  We  wrong  God  and  wrong 
men  by  a  covetous  keeping  of  our  posses- 
sions, as  really  as  we  do  by  a  fraudulent 
getting  of  them.  In  acquiring  property  it 
is  easy  to  see  that  it  is  wrong  to  take 
advantage  of  others ;  and  having  gotten 
property,  it  is  equally  wrong  to  withhold  it 
in  a  way  that  injures  others  in  need  of  help. 
In  all  this  matter  pertaining  to  property, — 
the  getting  and  the  using,  we  are  responsible 
to  God.  All  things  are  his,  and  we  are 
under  the  same  obligation  to  use  our  wealth 
properly,  as  we  are  to  obtain  it  properly. 
The  statute  allows  us  to  accumulate  and 
possess,  and  to  withhold  from  the  public 
want,  no  matter  how  many  suffer  in  conse- 
quence of  it.  But  the  law  of  Christ  puts 
men  on  different  ground.  It  goes  beyond 
statute  law ;  it  regulates  our  using  of  prop- 
erty.    It   extends   to  our   stewardship.      It 


SELF-REGARD,  393 

looks  to  our  higher  relations ;  and  at  the 
disjposal  we  make  of  the  things  of  God. 
The  rich  man  in  torment  was  there  for  deeds 
and  for  neglects  such  as  took  place  at  his 
palace  gate,  when  Lazarus  lay  there.  It 
mattered  less  with  him  in  the  other  world, 
whether  he  had  obtained  his  possessions 
wrongfully,  or  whether  he  had  wrongfully 
Tcejpt  them  when  mercy  required  their  bestow- 
ment.  God  gives  wealth;  and  is  robbed 
when  it  is  wrongfully  withheld. 

But  the  highest  Christian  seTf-regard 
would  seem  to  lead  one  to  do  good  with 
his  property.  We  have  need  to  give,  for 
our  own  welfare  as  well  as  for  that  of  others. 
True  charity  has  an  introspective  glance. 
Not  that  one's  own  good  is  the  motive  to 
Christian  sacrifice,  but  such  sacrifice  really 
tends  to  promote  one's  own  gain.  True 
giving  leaves,  as  well  as  bestows  a  blessing. 
Giving  is  receiving  in  the  Saviour's  view, 
and  obtains  the  greater  blessing.  Selfish- 
ness  is   good  will  to  one,   and   indifierence 


394  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

to  the  many.  It  accumulates  for  one  re- 
gardless of  the  many.  This  is  an  immor- 
ality in  the  view  of  heaven.  But  can  that 
course  which  leads  to  one's  own  ruin  be  really 
called  the  course  of  good-will  to  one's  self, 
even?  When  we  give  benevolently,  we  do 
not  give  away;  we  invest  for  the  future. 
The  gift  becomes  a  possession.  It  is  still 
ours  in  the  highest  and  best  sense.  We 
have  really,  what  we  give  aright.  It  is  not 
in  our  hands  ;  but  it  is  in  the  safe  of  Heaven. 
We  have  the  pledge  of  more  even  in  the 
present  life,  if  we  give  bountifully  and 
benevolently.  We  may  not  have  it  in  the 
identical  things  bestowed,  but  in  a  form 
more  real  and  useful  to  us  and  others,  and  in 
which  it  cannot  be  taken  away.  Neither 
moth  nor  rust  can  corrupt  that  which  we 
have  given  for  Christ,  and  which  God  makes 
truly  our  own. 

-Foreign  missions  have  had  a  commanding 
influence  in  this  respect.  They  have  brought 
before  the  churches  the  highest  and  purest 


PRESIDENT  HAMLIN.  395 

of  all  motives  to  benevolence.     "Missions," 
says  Pres.  Hamlin  of  Constantinople,  "have 
done   a  noble  work    toward    making   us   a 
generous,  benevolent,  —  instead  of  a  mean, 
money-loving    people.     Our   Roberts,    Pea- 
bodys    and    Viissars   will    multiply   in   the 
future,  and  cover  the  world  with  their  mon- 
uments of  love  and  good  will  to  man.     The 
missionary   spirit  is   in   all    this."      Sm-ely 
missions  have  uncovered   the  wretchedness 
of  the  nations,  and  have    brought  out  the 
strongest  motives  to  send  them  Christianity. 
Our  missionary  societies  have  simplified  the 
methods   of  this   work,  and   facilitated   the 
ways  of  accomplishing  it.     Our  missionaries 
have  set  the  example  of  self-denial, — have 
gone  to  the  distant  habitations  of  wickedness, 
and  asked  us  to  sustain  them  there.     Pow- 
erful    motives    have    been    set    before   the 
churches  to  induce  them  to  give  as  God  has 
prospered    them,    to    promote    this   work. 
The   efi'ect   has   been  only  partial,  and   yet 
indifiference  diminishes,   interest  is   incieas- 


396  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

iug,  good  results  are  felt  uot.  only  in  the 
foreign  field,  but  here  at  home,  in  cultivating 
the  habit  of  Christian  giving,  and  thus 
regulating  and  sanctifying  the  property 
relation.  And  what  good  object  here  at 
home  even,  does  not  feel  the  influence  of  the 
increased  benevolence  of  the  age? 

I  do  not  maintain  that  the  change  that  has 
come  over  the  Christian  world  in  the  matter 
of  benevolence  is  due  wholly  to  foreign  mis- 
sions. Other  Christian  enterprises  have 
helped  to  produce  it.  I  only  affirm  that 
foreign  missions  have  been  a  leading  cause  of 
this  change.  They  have  given  a  new  spring 
to  moral  enterprise,  put  a  new  element  of 
power  into  practical  godliness. 

I  ousfht  to  add  here  that  the  foreisrn  mis- 
sionary  work  has  developed,  in  a  wonderful 
manner,  the  spirit  of  benevolence  abroad,  in 
the  feeble  mission  churches.  Those  poor 
saints,  in  Turkey,  India  and  Africa,  may 
well  put  men  to  the  blush  here  in  this  Chris- 
tian land.     The  sacrifices  they  make  to  sup- 


REV.   a   H.    WHEELER.  397 

port  and  to  spread  the  gospel  are  truly 
marvelous.  We  have  need  to  sit  at  their 
feet  in  this  thing.  They  are  the  missionaries 
to  us.  We  are  yet  the  idolaters  in  a  sense. 
The  following  extract  from  "  Ten  Years  on 
the  Euphrates,"  Rev.  C.  H.  Wheeler,  —  a 
book  that  ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  every 
Christian, —  illustrates  the  subject  in  hand  : 

"  Soon  after  the  annexation  of  the  Arabkir  territory 
to  our  field,  Mr.  Barnum  and  I  went  to  visit  Shepik, 
and  saw  the  deep  poverty  of  the  people ;  we  exclaimed, 
'  No  wonder  that  during  all  these  years  the  people 
have  paid  but  two  dollars  and  twenty  cents  to  their  pas- 
tor ! '  .  .  .  The  pastor,  who,  previous  to  his  conversion, 
had  been  one  of  that  incurably  sluggish  and  covetous 
race,  the  Armenian  priesthood,  did  not  get  as  much  as 
he  thought  he  needed,  and  came  to  us  to  complain.  "We 
referred  him  to  the  '  Evangelical  Union,'  then  in  ses- 
sion; and  a  satisfaction  it  was  to  see  the  faithful, 
practical  way  in  which  they  examined  into  the  case, 
coming  at  last  to  the  decision  that  his  own  want  of 
energy  had  been  the  cause  of  his  people's  inactivity. 
They  decided  that  he  should  leave  them,  and  go  as  a 
missionary  to  a  village  near,  where  the  opposition  of 
the  people  would  wake  him  up,  and  that  '  John  Concor- 
dance '  should  take  his  place  for  a  time. 


398  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

"  The  blind  preacher  went,  and,  to  the  complaints  of 
the  people  about  poor  crops  and  poverty,  replied, 
*  God  tells  you  the  reason,  in  the  third  chapter  of 
Malachi,  where  he  says,  "  Ye  are  cursed  with  a  curse, 
for  ye  have  robbed  me.'**  Then,  taking  for  a  text, 
'  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes,'  etc.,  he  began  to  preach  the 
duty  and  privilege  of  setting  apart  at  least  a  tenth  of 
their  earnings  for  God.  He  enforced  the  duty  not  as  a 
Mosaic  rule  of  action,  but  as  something  enjoined  from 
the  earliest  times,  and  as  of  pre-eminently  binding 
force  on  Christians.  '  Did  not  even  Abraham  pay 
tithes  ?  '  he  inquired.  '  And  if  the  Jews,  with  only  their 
own  home  work  to  care  for,  besides  expending  so  much 
for  sacrifices,  and  in  traveling  to  and  from  the  temple, 
were  obliged  to  pay  one-tenth  to  the  Lord's  treasury, 
Christians  surely  should  do  no  less.  Does  not  Jesus 
say  that  the  Pharisees  ought  not  to  "  leave  undone  " 
the  tithing  of  their  herbs  ?  And  does  not  the  apostle 
say  to  the  Corinthians,  '*  Upon  the  first  day  of  the 
week  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store,  as  God 
has  prospered  him "  ? '  He  then  called  to  mind  the 
words  of  the  Lord  Jesus  which  the  apostle  exhorted 
the  Ephesians  to  remember,  'It  is  more  blessed  to 
give  than  to  receive.'  Going  on  still  further,  he  dwelt 
upon  the  sin  of  a  Christian's  sitting  still  and  waiting 
for  the  collector  to  come  and  dun  him  for  the  amount 
due  the  Lord's  treasury.  '  Don't  you  see,'  said  he,  '  the 
command  is,  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes?  Why  not  'bring 
your  ofierings  of  money  to  God  as  much  as  those  of 
prayer  and  praise  ? ' 


REV.   a  E.   WHEELER.  399 

"The  blind  man  hail  seen  the  pith  of  the  matter 
better  than  we  who  had  eyes,  and  his  fitly-chosen 
words  produced  the  desired  result.  Including  the 
family  of  the  absent  pastor,  there  were  in  the  Protes- 
tant community  eighty-two  pet'sous,  old  and  young,  of 
whom,  including  the  pastor  and  his  son,  sixteen  were 
adult  males.  But  of  these  sixteen,  two  were  wander- 
ing in  distant  parts,  one  was  a  blind  beggar,  and  one  a 
simpleton,  leaving,  besides  the  pastor  and  his  son,  ten 
adult  males,  six  of  whom,  with  ten  females,  were  mem- 
bers of  the  church.  Most  of  them  cultivate  the  soil, 
the  owner  of  which  exacts  half  of  the  crop  for  rent, 
and  the  government  takes  a  tenth  of  the  remainder  for 
taxes.^ 

"They  all  gave  another  tenth  to  the  Lord's  *  store- 
house,' a  room  which  they  set  apart  to  receive  the 
tithes.  Thither  they  bore  one-tenth  of  all  which 
came  to  their  hand,  he  who  went  to  the  city  to  labor 
for  twenty  cents  a  day  bringing  two  for  the  Lord's 
portion.  The  man  who  caught  fish  from  the  neighbor- 
ing stream  sold  one  often  for  the  Lord;  and  even  the 
blind  old  beggar  brought  a  tenth  of  his  gatherings  to 
the  same  depository.  Enjoying  this  so  much,  they 
agreed  to  bring  another  tenth  for  building  a  chapel, 
and  promptly  paid  the  amount." 


iNo  one,  who  has  not  seen  oriental  poverty,  can  at  all  realize  how 
very  poor  these  people  were.  Most  of  the  houses  as  well  as  lands 
belong  to  the  Turkish  owner ;  and  T  think  it  may  safely  he  said  that 
all  their  property,  including  clothes  and  household  utensils,  would 
not  exceed  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  in  value. 


400  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

The  Tithing  system  which  our  mission 
churches  are  adopting  largely  in  the  East, 
often  imposes  a  greater  sacrifice  upon  them 
than  it  would  be  to  jCIhristians  here  at  home, 
to  give  three-fourths,  or  even  nine-tenths, 
of  the  whole  income.  The  one-tenth  given 
often  leaves  them  more  destitute  than  the 
giving  of  nine-tenths  would  in  this  country. 

But  their  example  of  sacrifice  in  the  way 
of  giving  is  taking  root  all  over  the  world. 
It  is  stirring  up  Christians  to  greater  benevo- 
lence. They  are  compelled  to  condemn  this 
course  in  the  oriental  Christians,  or  to  con- 
demn themselves  for  the  meagerness  of  their 
own   charities. 

!N"otice  here  the  spirit  of  giving  that  has 
gone  into  our  Sabbath-schools.  Twenty 
years  ago  the  Sabbath-school  children  in 
our  country  gave  very  little,  if  any  thing, 
for  foreign  missions.  They  were  not  in 
the  habit  of  systematic  giving  at  all.  They 
were  not  even  asked  to  give.  This  is  true 
to  a  very  large  extent. 

Now  the  children  in  the  Sabbath-schools 


CHILDREN'S  GIFTS.  401 

often  contribute  regularly  for  the  support  of 
mission  schools.  The  children  in  the  Con- 
gregational churches  in  the  poorest  District 
of  the  whole  country,  are  giving  from  three 
to  foiu-  thousand  dollars  to  this  cause 
annually.  They  do  this  with  great  apparent 
cheerfulness,  and  their  gifts  are  increasing 
year  by  year.  They  build  missionary 
ships  and  support  mission  schools.  They 
have  responded  to  home  objects,  too.  As 
soon  as  it  was  known  that  the  children 
were  giving  for  mission  schools,  it  was 
natural  that  they  should  be  kindly  invited  by 
representatives  of  other  Christian  charities, 
to  give  for  these  also.  The  response  has 
been  cheerful  and  prompt,  and  without  for-, 
getting  the  heathen  children.  The  results 
of  these  early  habits  of  benevolence  upon 
the  children  themselves  cannot  be  measured. 
The  money  they  give  for  mission  schools 
has  value  ;  but  the  habit  of  early  and  cheer- 
ful giving  has  far  greater  value.  It  teaches 
them  to  live  according  to  the  Saviour's 
rule.  26 


402  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

It  is  an  early  recognition  on  their  part  of 
the  fact  that  their  little  means  are  not  their 
own,  and  of  their   obligation  to    use    them 
so  as  to  do  the  greatest  amount  of  good  to 
others.      If  the  child    earns    or   saves    the 
little  sums  given,  the   habit   of  useful   econ- 
omy, as  well  as  of  self-denial,  is  cultivated. 
How  clear  the  conclusion  now,  that  we  need 
the   cause   of  foreign  missions  as   churches 
and  as  Christians,  upon  which  to  stretch  the 
faith,  and  expand  the  affections.     It  gives  us 
a  work  to  do  that  is  worthy  of  our  redemp- 
tion, and  that  corresponds  to    our  destiny. 
We  have    need   of  something   before  us  as 
Christians,  the  very  thought  of  which  is  an 
inspiration, —  an  inspiration  that  shall  make 
every  thing  else  seem    cheap,  save  as  it  can 
be  used  to  promote  that  object.     Surely,  if 
the  intellect  needs  a  world  to  expand  itself 
upon,  in  the  way  of  development,  the  heart, 
yet  more,  needs  a  world  to  expand  itself  upon, 
in  the  way  of  spiritual  knowledge  and  growth. 
For  if  human  knowledge  is  not  complete  till 


WHAT  THE  HEART  REQUIRES.  403 

it  masters  science  and  natural  law,  and 
reaches  the  goal  of  ultimate  discovery  and 
enterprise,  no  more  is  Christian  love  com- 
plete, till  it  has  fathomed  the  woes  of  man, 
and  embraced  in  the  reach  of  its  sympathies, 
the  whole  world.  Its  grand  end  is  not 
gained  till  it  has  conquered  the  world  for 
Jlsus  Christ. 

I  have  found  it  difficult  to  reach  my  con- 
ception by  adequate  language,  of  the  en- 
largement given  to  Christian  enterprise  and 
character  by  means  of  the  foreign  missionary 
work.  I  leave  this  Topic  with  particular 
dissatisfaction  on  this  account.  For  while 
my  language  may  seem  exaggerated  or 
extravagant  to  some,  I  feel  that  it  fails  to 
express  adequately  the  grandeur  of  moral 
resuliri  in  the  development  of  Christianity, 
in  our  country.  I  repeat  here  a  thought 
I  wrote  upon  another  page  :  Our  own  com- 
plete evangelization  as  a  people,  is  to  be 
reached  through  efforts  and  sacrifices  to 
evangelize  the  world.     And  if  foreign  mis- 


404  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

sions  were  a  total  failure,  the  enterprise 
were  not  a  failure.  For  if  all  were  lost  that 
is  done  across  the  sea,  all  were  gain  this 
side  the  sea.  For  God  would  see  to  it  that 
well-meant  work,  though  a  failure,  should 
have  its  recognition  and  its  recompense. 
He  would  counteract  disheartening  influ- 
ences, and  nerve  his  people  up  to  new  efibrt, 
with  redoubled  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  the 
world. 

But  as  the  case  is,  the  work,  having  suc- 
ceeded and  triumphed,  demonstrating  the 
worth  and  power  of  Christianity,  rea(^.ts  upon 
the  doers  of  it  in  the  happiest  way,  —  which 
it  is  my  joy  here  to  record. 

I  will  say  once  more, — that  no  one  may 
fail  to  see  the  point  of  the  book, —  that  I  do 
not  advocate  foreign  missions  in  view  of 
these  reflex  results  ;  for  they  do  not  constitute 
the  grand,  primary  motive  to  them,  but  are 
subordinate,  collateral,  incidental  only.  We 
send  men  to  the  heathen  to  convert  them,  or 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  them.     We  do  this 


RECAPITULATION.  405 

in  obedience  to  the  Saviour's  command,  and 
because  the  heathen  are  in  a  perishing  condi- 
tion without  Christ,  so  that  nothing  hut  the 
gospel  will  save  them.  These  are  the  stand- 
ing motives  to  foreign  missions.  The  ques- 
tion how  the  work  affects  us  as  a  race,  as  a 
nation,  as  a  government,  or  in  ways  of 
wealth  and  learning,  or  in  Christian  develop- 
ment, is  not  the  prime  one,  nor  the  principal 
one.  It  is  nevertheless  interesting  to  know 
how  they  react  upon  those  who  engage  in 
them,  and  to  find  that  they  promote  every 
good  interest  and  thing.  So  while  I  would 
not  advocate  missions  on  these  grounds,  I 
would  not  ignore  these  great  facts.  To  do 
so  would  be  to  dishonor  God,  and  to  over- 
look a  grand  law  in  his  kingdom ;  to  wit,  the 
profitableness  of  sacrifice,  of  consecration,  of 
godliness,  where  more  is  given  in  the  present 
life,   for  what  we  give  up  for  Christ. 

I  have  no  doubt,  too,  that  the  respect  for 
the  Christian  religion  has  been  increased 
since   it    assumed    the    foreign    missionary 


406  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

work :  I  do  not  say,  though  I  have  no  doubt, 
that  it  has  been  multiplied  on  this  account. 
The  moral  grandeur  of  the  work  reflects  cor- 
responding credit  upon  the  system  or  source 
that  inspired  it.  The  moral  power  of  the 
churches  in  our  land,  too,  has  increased  in 
large  ratio,  since  it  undertook  the  work  of 
evangelizing  the  world.  This  enlargement 
of  enterprise  has  told  on  every  benevolent 
home  work.  Nothing  would  so  cripple 
home  movements  and  humanities  as  the 
abandoning  of  the  foreign  missionary  field. 
It  would  be  felt  in  our  commerce,  in  our 
diplomacy,  in  all  our  home  thrift ;  but  no- 
where would  such  abandonment  of  this  great 
central  movement  of  Christianity  in  our  age, 
be  so  deeply,  sorely  felt  as  in  moral  and 
Christian  labor.  Our  indebtedness  to  mis- 
sions is  thus  seen,  and  becomes  a  powerful 
motive  to  sustain  them. 

I  now  leave  the  subject,  satisfied  to  have 
indicated  only  this  resultant  influence  of  for- 
eign missions.     This  view  is  but  a  reflection  ; 


ECHOES  AND  REFLECTIONS.  407 

there  is  nothing  primary  and  fundamental  in 
it.  The  influence  here  brought  out  to  view 
is  simply  resultant  or  reflex  ;  it  is  not  direct 
and  original.  And  yet  there  is  in  the  natu- 
ral world,  a  beauty  in  reflections,  a  music  in 
echoes  and  reverberation,  which  combine  to 
reach  the  grandest  efiects  in  art  and  beauty 
and  melody. 

These  reflections  prove  the  genuineness  of 
the  original  in  nature,  and  sounds  that  trem- 
ble back  to  the  ear,  tell  in  sweetest  tones  the 
story  of  their  origin  and  travel.  So  in 
these  reproduced  influences  of  heaven-born 
charity,  we  are  carried  up  to  the  sublime 
source,  and  are  led  to  adore  with  warmest 
affection,  that  world-love  that  originated  and 
inspired  this  work  for  a  world. 

I  am,  therefore,  too  happy  to  be  per- 
mitted, in  this  indirect  manner,  aud  in  the 
use  of  arguments  and  considerations  not 
usual,  to  re-plead  the  cause  of  Christian  mis- 
sions, as  a  work  we  owe  to  the  heathen, 
on  the   ground  that  we   had  ceased  to   be 


408  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

heathen  ourselves  as  a  result  of  missions ; 
and  passing  over  other  results  to  the  nation, 
government,  to  learning,  and  the  like,  I 
plead  for  them  as  the  sole  method  of  saving 
the  perishing;  as  the  only  practical  fulfil- 
ment of  the  command  of  Christ ;  confident 
thus  that  I  plead  for  what  is  dear  to  the 
heart,  and  enters  into  the  ripening  purposes, 
of  heaven;  and,  also,  for  a  work  that  stands 
out  as  the  golden  key  to  prosperity  in  secu- 
lar enterprise,  and  in  the  activities  and  ulti- 
mate triumphs  of  the  church. 


ANSWER  TO  SOME  OBJECTIONS, 


*'  We  object  to  your  work,  or  the  theory  of  it, 
because  it  savors  of  a  certain  kind  of  universalism, 
in  aiming  at  the  conversion  of  the  whole  world  to 
Christ.  It  proceeds  on  the  ground  of  a  visionary 
millennium  such  as  God  has  not  promised  and  will 
not  give."  "  You  seek  to  save  the  world,  —  while 
you  ought  to  labor  to  save  an  elect  people,  and  thus 
develop  an  ecclesia  from  the  nations,  over  which  the 
Lord  shall  reign  as  king  of  saints. " 

I  have  from  time  to  time  had  to  meet  objections 
like  the  above,  and  sometimes  from  sources  of  great 
influence  and  learning. 

I  indicate  the  following  as  a  reply,  in  part.  We 
aim  as  a  missionary  Board  simply  to  obey  the  words 
of  Christ.  He  commanded  his  followers  to  evan- 
gelize all  nations.  Are  we  to  attempt  less  than  this? 
The  evangelizing  of  the  nations  does  not  involve 
the  salvation  of  every  individual.  Christ  did  not 
send  forth  his  disciples  to  evangelize  the  chosen 
people,  but  every  creature.  He  did  not  command 
them  to  save  the  elect  out  of  the  nations,  but  to 


410  THESE  FOR  THOSE. 

evangelize  the  nations  themselves.  He  would  have 
them  do  this,  to  develop  an  elect  people,  and  thus 
meet  a  condition  on  which  God's  election  stands. 
For  let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  election,  while  it  is 
sovereign,  is  not  absolute.  It  is  conditioned,  not 
on  the  foreseen  repentance  and  good  works  of  the 
creature,  but  on  the  presence  of  Christian  institu- 
tions, and  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  among  the 
people.  Election,  indeed,  does  not  out-reach  Chris- 
tian institutions.  It  does  not  go  beyond  them.  The 
purposes  of  God  and  the  power  of  God  plant  these, 
through  human  agency ;  then  it  comes  to  pass  that  a 
condition  of  the  election  of  God  is  fulfilled.  So  we 
see  the  need  of  the  gospel  preached,  and  of  Chris- 
tian institutions,  as  a  pre-condition  of  the  divine 
election  and  influence.  For  how  shall  they  believe 
in  him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard;  and  how  shall 
they  hear  without  a  preacher;  and  how  shall  they 
preach  except  they  be  sent?  We  give  the  gospel 
to  men  that  a  remnant  may  be  saved;  that  there 
may  be  a  holy  seed,  a  chosen  people  to  serve 
the  Lord.  We  do  not  know  who  that  people  are. 
Christ  has  not  told  us;  and  yet  he  knows  who  they 
are ;  for  they  are  his,  —  given  to  him  in  the  covenant 
of  redemption.  We  should  not  know  how  to  preach 
the  gospel  among  the  heathen,  nor  to  whom,  —  if 
we  aimed  only  at  the  elect,  and  were  limited  to  them. 
But  Christ  has  relieved  us  here,  and  told  us  just 


ANSWER   TO  SOME  OBJECTIONS.  411 

what  to  do,  namely,  to  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature.  So  we  shall  surely  reach  the  chosen  ones. 
It  makes  good  a  condition  of  their  election  and  sal- 
vation,—  the  establishing  of  Christian  institutions 
and  influences  among  them.  We  are  commanded 
to  preach  the  gospel.  We  have  to  do  with  God's 
commands,  rather  than  with  his  purposes.  We  send 
this  gospel  to  the  nations,  —  not,  indeed,  for  their 
civilization  primarily,  but  to  enlighten  and  save 
them.  I  say  again,  there  would  be  no  chosen  people 
in  a  nation,  if  there  were  no  Bible  nor  gospel  there. 
There  are  none  in  countries  that  have  not  these. 
There  would  have  been  none  in  Britain  and  America 
if  Christianity  had  not  come  to  these  nations.  The 
election  of  God  rests  on  Christian  light  and  influence. 
If  there  would  as  surely  be  a  remnant,  or  chosen 
people,  in  lands  that  have  no  gospel,  as  there  is  in 
those  that  have  it;  if  by  sleeping  on  in  paganism  men 
would  as  promptly  wake  to  righteousness  in  the  re- 
generation, then  might  Jesus  have  stayed  in  heaven, 
and  saved  himself  from  the  crucifixion;  or  having 
come  to  earth, — might  have  withheld  his  command 
to  enlighten  and  evangelize  it.  No,  we  do  not 
believe  in  any  thing  like  a  universalism  of  missionary 
achievement,  but  hope  in  due  time,  the  world  will 
become  a  difierent  world,  in  a  spiritual  point  of  view, 
from  what  it  now  is,  in  consequence  of  the  gospel 
preached  to  all  nations. 


OTHER  OBJECTIONS. 


It  has  been  urged  as  an  objection  against  oar 
Board,  that  it  is  not  Congregational^  or  is  not  an  off- 
spring of  the  churches  ecclesiastically.  I  meet  this 
objection  occasionally.  It  is  sometimes  urged  with 
much  warmth  of  feeling.  The  views  that  follow 
have  sometimes  been  presented  in  reply. 

It  might  be  perilous  to  change  the  organization 
of  a  society  like  this,  from  a  i^ermanent  to  a  pop- 
ular basis.  It  is  of  importance  that  a  work  like  that 
of  foreign  missions  should  be  stable,  and  not  be  sub- 
ject to  fluctuations,  experiments  or  sudden  changes. 
There  was  need  to  be  progress  and  improvement,  to 
be  sure,  as  also  permanency  and  steadfastness. 
Public  opinion  in  the  church  is  liable  to  frequent  and 
sudden  changes.  It  sympathizes  often  with  the 
impulses  of  an  outside  civilization  and  nationality; 
and  where  the  constituency  of  a  missionary  Board 
is  broadened  so  as  to  embrace  the  great  Christian 
public,  there  will  be  constant  liability  to  revolution, 
or  sudden  change  in  the  work  abroad. 

In  the  matter  of  self-government  the    popular 


OTHER  OBJECTIONS.  413 

voice  has  need  to  be  heard;  and  the  constituency 
may  be  safely  extended.  It  is  otherwise  in  a  busi- 
ness like  this,  not  affecting  our  personal  rights  or 
safety,  but  the  great  interests  of  Zion.  There  is 
need  of  the  element  of  consistency  and  permanency, 
to  secure  the  highest  ends  with  the  least  peril  and 
cost. 

But  I  do  not  like  the  thought  that  Congregation- 
alism is  circumscribed  to  its  own  peculiar  ways  of 
working,  that  it  cannot  go  outside  of  itself  to  do 
good;  that  it  cannot  enter  safely  into  broad  and 
catholic  organizations  and  sympathy  for  usefulness. 
It  is  a  self-governing  system  for  religious  purposes, 
or  in  religious  things,  and  hence  we  like  it.  It  is  an 
institution  for  religion  in  its  spiritual  aspects  and 
development.  But  it  does  not  follow  that  the  prin- 
ciple so  useful  and  convenient  in  church-govern- 
ment and  worshijD,  would  work  well  in  business 
ways.  In  the  vast  complications  of  a  world-wide 
management  of  affairs,  too  many  votes  and  voices 
might  be  inconvenient.  That  which  was  for  strength, 
in  higher  spiritual  matters,  might  be  for  weakness 
in  complicated  financial  affairs.  The  American 
Board  must  not  be  swayed  by  party  politics,  or  the 
sudden  changes  of  society.  Its  high  character,  the 
world  over,  is  owing  half  to  its  calm  wisdom,  its 
progressive  course,  its  far-reaching  and  steadfast 
policy.    Its  pecuniary  credit  abroad  would  not  have 


414  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

been  what  it  now  is,  if  the  Board  had  been  an  un- 
certain, fluctuating  institution. 

'  But  we  ought  not  to  be  censured  for  the  organic 
Btructuro  of  the  American  Board,  from  the  fact 
that  we  are  not  responsible  for  this.  We  inherited 
it,  we  did  not  originate  it.  It  is  the  work  of  a  pre- 
ceding generation.  And  to  change  its  basis  now, 
were  a  difScult  thing.  It  is  a  Board  of  Trust,  it  is  a 
chartered  institution.  It  holds  property  in  various 
ways  and  countries,  which  cannot  easily  be  alien- 
ated. And  legacies  are  made  to  it  on  this  very 
ground  of  its  permanency,  that  would  not  have  been 
made,  if  it  rested  on  a  popular  basis,  and  was  sub- 
ject to  the  fluctuations  of  a  fickle  public  senti- 
ment. 

But  it  is  nevertheless  urged  that  we  should  man- 
age our  own  charities  in  our  way,  or  in  a  church 
way,  or  as  we  do  our  other  religious  matters. 

But  when  the  Board  was  formed  we  had  no 
denominational  organizations  of  an  ecclesiastical 
nature,  save  the  temporary  or  ephemeral  Council  of 
the  churches. 

There  were  no  State  and  County  Conferences 
then,  no  grand  Convocations  of  the  body!  How 
then  could  the  churches  as  such  have  been  brought 
to  act  on  this  subject?  How  could  they  represent 
themselves;  how  could  they  reach  the  question,  or 
the  question  reach  them? 


OTHER  OBJECTIONS.  415 

But  worse  than  this,  the  churches  had  no  zeal 
in  foreign  missions  at  the  time  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M. 
was  formed.  And  if  this  question  had  been  left  to 
them,  it  would  have  been  decided  in  the  negative, 
as  chimerical  and  preposterous.  There  would  have 
been  no  foreign  missionary  movement  in  the 
churches,  save  as  it  came  from  an  outside,  educat- 
ing movement  from  some  source  or  Board  above 
their  own  standard. 

And  even  if  the  churches  had  been  ready  for  the 
movement,  and  such  a  movement  would  have  been 
safe  and  wise  in  an  ecclesiastical  form,  the 
churches  were  weak  comparatively,  and  it  be- 
came necessary  that  different  denominations  unite 
in  the  work.  But  would  the  Presbyterians,  or 
the  Dutch  Eeform  Church,  have  been  willing 
to  co-operate  with  us  in  foreign  mission  work,  to 
be  carried  on  congregationally  or  ecclesiastically? 
The  thing  cannot  be  supposed  for  a  moment.  "We 
could  not  have  worked  with  them  in  missions,  if 
every  movement  was  to  be  conformed  to  the  stiff 
machinery  of  sect. 

The  point  of  argument  on  this  subject  is,  per- 
haps, less  apparent  now  than  in  past  years,  when 
there  was  more  occasion  than  now  to  use  this  rea- 
soning. "We  were,  in  other  years,  in  the  fullest  and 
highest  sense  a  co-operative  body  in  the  foreiga 
missionary  work.    "We  are  so  now  in  some  sense. 


416  THESE  FOR   THOSE. 

It  will  be  long,  I  trust,  before  our  brethren  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  who  have  labored  with  us  so 
faithfully,  will  all  leave  us.  So  the  argument  that 
had  conclusive  force  in  other  years,  as  against 
narrowing  our  Board  to  an  ecclesiastical  basis,  has 
force  yet.  We  could  not  ask  those  brethren  to 
continue  with  us  if  we  should  resolve  to  work  exclu- 
sively in  the  ecclesiastical  way.  I  have  said,  Congre- 
gationalism need  not  be  narrowed  and  stiffened  into 
one  exclusive  way  of  working,  when  that  one  way 
of  working  even,  if  carried  too  far,  and  made  to  in- 
clude the  management  of  business  affairs  and  organ- 
izations, might  prove  inconvenient  and  perilous. 

Kor  do  I  say  that  the  popular  basis  is  impossible. 
Great  changes  come.  If  Congregationalists  should 
ever  have  to  control  the  Board  exclusively,  we 
shall  stand,  I  hope,  on  higher  ground  than  we  now 
do,  —  and  be  better  able  to  grapple  with  coming 
questions  than  we  now  are. 

Elaborate  plans  have  been  put  forth  or  suggested, 
upon  which  to  manage  this  popular  machinery 
when  once  set  in  motion.  One  is  this:  let  the  giv- 
ing of  blank  dollars,  say  SlOO,  be  the  least  sum 
given  by  any  one  church  or  individual,  that  shall 
entitle  the  giver  to  a  vote  or  representation  at  the 
meeting. 

But  there  might  be  dissatisfaction  on  the  part  of 
weaker    churches,    who  cannot    come    up   to    this 


OTHER  OBJECTIONS.  417 

sum.  And  then  how  with  churches  that  give  hun- 
dreds and  thousands?  Are  they  to  be  put  on  a  level 
with  the  least  in  the  matter  of  representation? 
TVould  it  be  sufferable?  But  give  them  a  represen- 
tation according  to  their  donations!  That,  how- 
ever, would  swell  the  constituency  beyond  all  con- 
venience. The  effect,  indeed,  would  be  to  lessen 
interest  in  the  feeble  churches,  who  should  fail  of  a 
vote  on  account  of  their  weakness;  as,  also,  the 
ardor  of  the  wealthy  churches,  by  not  having  a 
proportionate  representation  in  the  affairs  of  the 
Board. 


27 


HOYT,     FOGG    &    BREED, 
92   MIDDLE  STREET,   PORTLAND, 

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turers,  Hotels;  Stamp  Duties,  Postage  Kates,  etc.,  etc. 

Sabbath-School  Concert  Book 

16mo,  half  hound.    (Tn  course  of  preparation.) 

It  is  also  proposed  to  issue  several  exercises  separately  ia 

pamphlet  form. 


Outlines  of  Scripture  History. 

With  Marginal  References  for  Sabbath  School  Concert  Exer- 
cises.   No.  1.  Life  of  Abraham.    8vo,  paper.  Price  25  eta. 

Sabbath  School  Class-Book. 

18mo,  paper,  8  cts. ;  75  cts.  per  doz. 

This  Class-book  was  pronounced  by  the  late  E.  G.  Pardee  to  be  an  im- 
provement upon  anything  yet  made  for  Sunday  School  Records. 

The  Westminster  Assembly's  Catechism. 

25  copies,  $1.00;  50  copies,  $1.75;  100  copies,  $3.00.    Sent  by 
mail,  post-paid. 
For  the  Sabbath  School  Concert  Exercises. 

New  Year's   Eve  ;   or,  the  Story  of   Little 

Gretchen.    24mo,  paper,  5  cts. ;  $4.00  per  hundred. 

A  prose  narrative,  by  Andersen,  the  Danish  Poet,  has  furnished  the  ground- 
work for  this  beautiful  little  poem. 

Day  School  Rank  Book. 

18mo,  paper,  15  cts. ;  $1.00  per  dozen. 

This  Kank  Book  is  used  by  the  Schools  of  Portland,  Augusta,  Biddeford, 
and  many  others. 

Universal  School  Register. 

This  Register  contains,  in  pocket  form,  Marking  Cards. 
Erasable  Tablet,  Attendance  Roll,  Pencil  Holder,  &c.,  &c. 
The  teacher  needs  no  other  Paper,  Cards  or  Records  for  hia 
school-room.  It  is  used  in  the  Farmington  Normal  School, 
and  many  others,  with  great  success.  75  cts.  and  $1.00. 
Also,  ROLL  BOOKS,  with  headings  printed  in  for  1869. 
Price  $1.00. 

Day  and  Sabbath  School  Certificate  Cards. 

For  Rewards.    Printed  in  Colors.    20  cts.  per  pack. 


ALSO,  DEALERS  IN 
Sabbath  School  Books.  School  Books. 

Theological  and  Music  Books,  Bibles  and  Photograph  Albums, 

Miscellaneous  and  Juvenile  Books,     Stationery  and  Fancy  Goods. 


HOYT,  FOG-a   &  BREED, 

92   MIDDLE    ST.,    PORTLAND. 


Helps  at  the  Mercy  Seat- 


Rev  J.  M.  PUTNAM. 

Consisting^  of  Prayers  *from  the  Scriptures, 
Old  Divines,  and  tlie  Poets. 

Cloth  Extra,  Square  21mo.    272  pp.    Price  $1.50. 


'' '  Helps  at  the  Mercy  Seat '  is  the  title  of  a  little  gem  of 
a  book,  just  published  by  Hoyt,  Fogg  &  Breed,  of  Port- 
land, Me.  Aud  when  we  say  that  it  is  from  the  press 
of  John  Wilson  &  Son,  Cambridge,  we  say  all  that  is 
necessary  to  assure  the  reader  that  it  is  an  elegant 
piece  of  typography.  As  to  its  contents  —  the  fruits 
of  sound  judgment  and  good  taste,  as  well  as  a  devout 
spirit  —  they  are  purely  devotional ;  consisting  of  se- 
lected and  original  hymns,  prayers,  sentences,  etc., 
designed  to  aid  in  the  cultivation  of  a  devotional 
spirit,  and  in  the  expression  of  devout  feelings,  morn- 
ing and  evening,  and  on  special  occasions."  —  Boston 
Traveller. 

"  We  have  received  from  Hoyt,  Fogg  &  Breed,  Port- 
land, advance  sheets  of  their  beautiful  new  volume, 
entitled  'Helps  at  the  Mercy  Seat.'  This  book  of 
devotions  meets  in  fall  the  promise  of  its  title.  The 
judicious  and  appropriate  selections  from  the  holy 
Scriptures,  and  from  the  religious  poetry  of  our  own 
and  other  days,  cannot  fail,  if  duly  perused  and  pon- 
dered, to  fan  the  flame  of  devotional  feeling,  and 
prepare  the  mind  for  intercourse  with  God.  It  sup- 
plies the  best  materials  of  thought.  It  suggests  the 
strongest  motives  to  gratitude  and  praise.  It  em- 
bodies the  best  results  of  Christian  experience,  and 
will  be  a  welcome  auxiliary  to  all  who  desire  to  walk 


rttth  Grod,  and  by  fellowship  witli  Him  to  learn  Iiow  to 
walk  consistently  and  usefully  with  men." —  Watchman 
and  Beflector. 

*'  Messrs.  Hoyt,  Fogg  &  Breed,  of  this  city,  have  just 
published  a  beautiful  volume  of  devotional  exercises, 
consisting  of  original  hymns  and  selections  in  prose 
and  verse,  by  the  Rev.  John  M.  Putnam,  of  Yarmouth, 
entitled  '  Helps  at  the  Mercy  Seat.'  The  prose  selec- 
tions are  mainly  from  the  Bible,  but  include  also 
prayers  by  Thomas  a  Kempis,  St.  Bernard,  Fenelon, 
Jeremy  Taylor,  Pascal  and  others.  The  hymns  are 
selected  with  care  and  taste.  Among  the  American 
authors  are  Alice  Carey,  Mrs.  Sigourney,  Bryant,  and 
S.  P.  Smith;  and  among  the  English  names  are  Moore, 
Proctor  (father  and  daughter),  Charles  Wesley,  Keble, 
and  Newton.  Bowring's  splendid  lyric,  '  In  the  Cross 
of  Christ  I  glory,'  and  St.  Bernard's  exquisite  hymn, 
*  For  thee,  O  dear,  dear  country,  mine  eyes  their  vigils 
keep,'  are  among  the  gems  of  the  collection.  Mr. 
Putnam's  original  hymns  are  clear  and  musical  expres- 
sions of  thoughts,  which  are  none  the  worse  for  every 
day  use,  because  they  are  as  old  as  human  nature. 
The  book  is  elegantly  printed  by  John  "Wilson  &  Son, 
of  Cambridge,  on  tinted  paper,  with  a  rubricate  title- 
page."  —  Portland  Advertiser. 

"  Recent  Publications.  —  A  charming  little  volume 
entitled  '  Helps  at  the  Mercy  Seat,'  is  published  this 
day  by  Hoyt,  Fogg  &  Breed,  of  this  city.  The  volume 
consists  of  original  hymns  and  selections,  by  Rev. 
John  M.  Putnam.  The  contents  are :  Morning  Devo- 
tions; General  Devotions ;  Safety  in  God;  Faith;  The 
Lord's  Prayer;  Old  AgQ-,  Holy  Spirit;  The  Sabbath; 
Our  Lambs;  Night  Watches;  Prayer;  Confidence  in 
Christ;  Prayer  to  Jesus;  Longing  after  God;  Contri- 
tion; Praise;  Death;  Affliction;  Heaven.  The  book 
is  finely  printed  and  handsomely  bound,  and  for  sale 
by  the  publishers."  —  Portland  Press. 


TWELVE  YEARS  WITH  THE  CHILDREN. 

BY  REV.  W.  WARREN, 

DISTRICT  SECRETARY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  BOARD. 

Cloth)  I61U0.    334:  pages.    Four  Illustrations.    $1.35. 


Rev.  Dr.  A.  P.  Peabody  says  :  "Rev.  Mr.  "Warren's 
'Twelve  Years  with  the  Children'  is  an  admirable  book 
of  its  kind,  and  its  kind  is  among  the  best  kinds.  It 
bears  the  marks  of  the  godly  simplicity  and  kindness 
which  have  won  for  him  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  chil- 
dren. In  its  form  it  will  attract  juvenile  readers,  and 
in  its  spirit  it  cannot  fail  of  enduring  benefit  to  large 
numbers  of  the  now  rising  generation." 

Dr.  A.  C.  Thompson,  Boston  Highlands,  says: 
"  '  Twelve  Years  with  the  Children,'  —  years  of  great 
plenty,  well  registered,  cheery,  juicy,  'having  borne 
twelve  manner  of  fruits.'  In  such  company  and  work, 
the  author  keeps  himself  young,  and  helps  others  to 
keep  young  too.  This  work  should  have  a  place  in 
our  homes  and  Sabbath-schools,  till  the  Saviour's  last 
command  has  been  fulfilled.'* 

"  A  wiser,  more  genial  man  for  the  preparation  of 
such  a  book  it  would  be  hard  to  find.  Here  are  stories, 
beautifully  applied  and  improved,  about  Crossing  the 
Rive*',  The  Wrong  Car,  The  Launch,  The  Gold  Dollar, 
The  Dialogue,  The  Wild  Children,  The  Heathen  Girl, 
The  Mice,  How  a  Boy  got  his  Money,  etc.  The  mot- 
toes which  these  stories  illustrate  are,  '  Begin  right,' 
*  Do  your  best,'  '  Do  as  you  would  be  done  by,'  '  Do  as 
you  will  wish  you  had  done  when  you  come  to  die.' 
What  parent  does  not  wish  to  have  his  children  inter- 
ested and  established  in  these  great  principles?"  — 
Congregational  Beview,  Boston. 

"The  Rev.  W.  Warren's  'Twelve  Years  with  the 
Children'  is  an  ingeniously  interesting  volume,  and 
for  some  grown  people  as  well  as  for  little  folks.  Pour 
mottoes  are  chosen:  (1)  'Begin  right,'  (2)  'Do  your 


best,'  (3)  '  Do  as  you  would  be  done  by,'  (4)  '  Do  as  you 
will  wish  you  had  when  you  come  to  die  ' ;  then  a  great 
many  facts  and  incidents,  many  of  them  drawn  from 
the  mission  work  with  which  the  author  has  had  large 
familiarity,  are  given  as  echoes  of,  or  responses  to,  or 
endorsement  upon  these  mottoes ;  and  with  this  warp 
of  the  book  the  'filling'  is  interwoven.  Beginning 
thus,  and  having  this  always  before  him  as  an  end,  he 
has  been  led  to  a  comprehension  of  child-nature  and 
child-needs,  which  gives  him  command  of  a  style, 
simple  and  comprehensible,  yet  often  graphic  and  im- 
pressive, and  which  has  led  him  to  write,  in  this,  what 
seems  to  us  to  be  a  very  good  book  indeed,  for  Sabbath- 
schools,  for  families,  and  for  individual  reading.  It  is 
a  safe  book,  for  it  is  the  outbreathings  of  a  heart  which 
loves  Christ,  and  would  lead  to  Christ;  and  that  is 
more  than  can  be  said  of  scores  even  of  the  professional 
Sabbath-school  books  of  the  day."  —  Congregationalist. 

"To  the  many  who  know  the  excellent  and  genial 
author  of  this  volume,  it  will  need  no  recommendation, 
as  they  will  recall  his  pleasant  and  stimulating  talks  at 
once,  and  be  eager  to  get  the  large  number  of  them, 
heard  and  unheard,  that  are  found,  in  all  their  fresh- 
ness and  vivacity,  between  these  covers. 

"To  those  who  have  not  seen  and  heard  him,  we 
may  say  that  this  volume  is  brimful  of  excellent  coun- 
sels, pithy  sayings,  stories  that  have  both  a  meaning 
and  a  moral;  familiar  talks,  that  are  sure  to  reach  both 
brain  aui^  heart,  and  encouragement  to  'trust  in  the 
Lord  and  do  good,'  that  will  be  found  both  cheering 
and  useful. 

"  Most  of  what  here  appears  is  especially  adapted  to 
children,  but  few  are  either  so  old  or  so  wise  as  to  be 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  author's  far-reaching  aim  and 
steady  reach  after  usefulness.  It  is  a  book  to  stir  bet- 
ter purposes  and  higher  ambition,  and  make  the  heart 
abound  still  more  in  charity  and  hope."  —  Morning  Star. 


Princeton  Theological  ,f;,K",fl[J[,|,iii|'f|ffji'* 

1    1012  01233  9448 


